Revofev
by DracoMalfoysSweetGirl92
Summary: Let's go, life does get tough. No need to stress, hold your back too much. After Hogwarts, life is tough for the Marauders. Working out marriages, having children, old acquaintances coming back. But they aren't stressing. AU Cowritten with Ronnie T.C.
1. Chapter 1

"James I can't believe you! It's your fault I lost a good friend like Severus! It's your fault!" Lily yells at her husband soon to be ex husband.

"He was a freak Lily! He worshiped the Dark Arts! He's a freak!"

"No he's not! You have no idea of what his home life was like. He got the shite beat out of him every time he went home! He and his mother were abused by his father for being 'freaks'. He took an _**interest**_ to the Dark Arts to figure out on how to defeat it. Then his bastard of a father beat his mother to death after seventh year and that was when he turned to the Dark Arts thinking there was no way out. His father wanted him to be like so he got his wish. He turned to be an evil bastard!" Lily shrieks.

"Whatever Lily!"

"Don't you 'Whatever Lily' me James Harry Potter! We're through! I can't believe it took me this long to see your such an arrogant bastard! I'm taking Harry and leaving." She said going upstairs and packing their bags, then shrinking them down and putting them in her pocket.

Once that task was done she goes and picks a sleeping Harry up and leaves the house with an agape James not believe she actually took his son and left.

* * *

><p>Putting the sleeping infant in the carrier Severus heads out to Diagon Alley. He needed a few things for some of his potions.<p>

Arriving in Diagon Alley Severus walks into the shop and the shop keeper goes over to them and she starts fawning over the sleeping infant.

"Oh she is just so precious."

"Thank you."

He looks for all the needed ingredients then he goes and gets them and pays for them then he heads back out into the street and he goes into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to get some robes for his baby girl and he sees Lily in there with her son.

"Severus!"

"Lily how are you?"

"Horrible. I found some things out about James and we're getting divorced."

"I'm sorry. Who's the little guy?"

"My son Harry. Who's that precious little girl you have with you?"

"My daughter Christina."

"She's beautiful. Where's her mother?"

"She died." He said shortly not wanting to talk about it.

Her mother, Joanna, was killed by Voldemort when she strictly disobeyed his orders.

He had been forced to watch as his little girl slept upstairs next to Lucius and Narcissa's boy.

"Oh I'm sorry." She said with sympathy.

He nods.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"No but we'll most likely stay at the Leaky Cauldron."

"No. That is no place for you or a baby. You can stay with us. I have plenty of room. I had bought a bigger place for myself and Christi's mom when she was pregnant with her."

"Severus…"

"Lily I insist. Just until you get back on your feet or until P…James comes groveling and begging for you to take him back."

"He's not coming back and alright I'll stay with you. I appreciate it Severus."

"Not a problem." He said as Christi started fussing.

"Do you mind?" Lily asks.

"Not at all." He said as they switched children.

Lily reaches into the green and silver carries and lifts the fussing three month old out of her carrier.

She gently bounced the fusing three month old and she starts calming down and she snuggles into Lily's arms and goes right to sleep in her arms.

"So what are you doing now in days?" Lily asks as they head to the nearest Floo system.

"Teaching Potions at Hogwarts."

"Severus that's amazing! What are you going to do about Christi?"

"No idea. I haven't gotten that far ahead. I've just been taking it day by day it's been difficult since her mum died."

"I can move to Hogsmeade with Harry and I can take care of her. I won't mind. She's an angel and besides Harry would have a playmate and they can grow up together and they can be good friends."

"Are you sure you want to make such a big move?"

"Yes, it will be good for us. Besides it will be easy for you to visit her and I need a clean slate."

Arriving back to the Snape home someone knocks on the front door and Severus goes and sets down the four week old in playpen he has set up for Christi then he goes and answers the door seeing Remus Lupin, his girlfriend Emmeline Vance and their one old daughter Ivy Lynn Lupin.

"Snivellus, is Lily here? Prongs has some crazy idea that she's come here for Merlin knows why."

"What do you want Remus?" Lily asks coming into view with the still sleeping three month old on her shoulder.

"Who's kid is that!" Remus asks.

"She's my daughter." Severus growls slipping into protective father mode.

"Lily come on and let's get back to Godric's Hallow. You and James belong together." Remus says.

"Lil why are you guys fighting?"

"He's the reason why Severus snapped at me fifth year after our OWL's. He and his little gang are the reason why everyone thinks he's an evil bastard when he's not."

"Bullocks! He's a fucking Death Eater!" Remus yells.

"Oh! Daddy said bad words!" Ivy giggles.

"And you are to never say either of those words understand Ivy Lynn?" Emmeline tells her.

"Yes mummy."

"If you know what's good for you _wolf_ you'll get off of my property before I hex you!"

Lily and Emmeline jump in between them and Lily immediately hands Christi to her father and he visibly clams.

"Sev, back down. He's trying to rile you up like old times. Don't let him win."

He nods and takes slow deep breaths to calm down.

He backs off and then he heads upstairs to lie his baby girl down in her crib then puts charms up so that if she starts crying he can hear her.

He heads back down and sees that James showed up and Remus was standing in front of him trying to keep him calm.

"YOU PLANNED THIS YOU FUCKING FREAK! YOU PLANNED THIS!" James yells as Remus grabs him and holds him back.

"James shut the bloody hell up!" Lily snaps.

"Lil, sweetheart, please come back and give me another chance. Please." James begs.

"No."

"Lil! Please!"

"I said no James! Not after everything I've found out."

"Lily I was a stupid immature, jealous, arsehole back then! Please Lil! Please!" pleads James.

Lily stands there gnawing her lower lip then nods after a long tense moment.

"Alright."

James smiles and shoves past Remus and snogs Lily spinning her around.

After a moment Lily looks at Severus.

"I appreciate everything. How about we do lunch in a few days?"

"Sure." He grunts as Christi starts crying.

He turns and sweeps out of the room to tend to his crying infant.

Heading home Remus and Emmeline head home and put Ivy to bed.

"She's so precious." Emmeline said.

"She is. She's going to be amazing witch when she's older." Remus said.

"She will be. We should let her sleep now."

He nods and they step out of the nursery and head downstairs.

"The full moon is in two nights."

"I know. I hate to have to leave you two. But I don't want to harm either one of you two."

"I know. Remus there will be a cure found for this. Who knows, maybe Ivy will find a cure for it." Emmeline said.

Remus chuckles snogs Emmeline softly slipping his hand behind neck as she slips her arms around his neck and laces her fingers in his hair.

He pulls back a moment later needing to breath.

"I love you Remus."

"I love you too Emme."

"Come on, let's go outside it's nice out." Emmeline said.

"I'm actually meeting with Padfoot and Prongs to prep for the full moon in two days."

"Alright. Just be careful."

"I will. I might be home late. Don't wait up."

Emmeline nods and heads back inside as Remus heads over to James'.

Getting there he hears Harry's screaming through the front door.

He smirks as James answers looking flustered.

"Hand the kid over." Remus chuckles taking Harry who immediately stops crying.

"Show off." James mutters.

"Whatever you say Prongs. Padfoot here yet?"

"Not yet. How's Ivy?"

"An angel. She's a good little girl."

"That's good."

"Yea. I love that girl to death. I just want to monitor her interactions with Padfoot. I don't want him turning her into a mischief-maker or Emme will skin me alive." He laughs.

"Hey! She can start creating the next generation of Marauders! She and Harry can start it and get Snape's daughter to join as well then whoever else to join." Sirius chuckles.

"No you will not! We don't need more Marauders running around and Severus is a great guy if you had actually taken the time to get to know him in school instead of bullying him. Which reminds me. James, love, you're going to start being nicer to him because I intend on helping him as much as possible and that includes taking care of his daughter while he's at Hogwarts teaching and if you don't like it suck it up do it anyway." Lily informs her husband.

"I said I didn't like Snape. I could tolerate his offspring, especially if you're around her to keep her away from the Dark Arts, no matter what 'daddy' says."

"Well you're going to have tolerate him because he is her father. He and I have been friends since we were kids. He's a really good guy. You just need to take the time and get to know him. You know there are reasons behind people turning to the Dark Arts. You are just too stubborn to realize that. Some are raised that way, some just turn to it out of pure stupidy or others, like Severus, see it as a way out. You have to look at the factors in peoples lives. Like I told you before about him. His home life was hell. He had the shit beat out of him and his mom constantly because his father thought he and his mum were freaks. Then after seventh year his dad beat his mum to Death. So he saw it as a way out. Think about it." She said Harry as he started crying and heading into the kitchen to make his bottle then to take him upstairs to feed him.

"Prongs, man, you just got your arse handed to you by Lil." Sirius howls with laughter.

* * *

><p>A few days later Lily and Severus were sitting in an open cafe with their kids having lunch. Christi was just happily babbling away in her seat and 'chewing' on her fingers making Severus chuckle.<p>

"You're a great father Severus. She's lucky to have you."

"Thanks. He's a good little guy. I haven't heard a peep out of him."

"Trust me he's usually screaming. You're seeing him on a rare day." Lily laughs.

Severus chuckles as Christi whimpers in her seat.

He smiles and swiftly lifts her out and pulls her bottle out and casting a simple warming charm then proceeds to feed her.

"You nervous about leaving her soon?"

"Terrified. I haven't left her alone since her mom died."

"That's normal. She's going to be fine and you know you can fire call us anytime you want to check on her."

"I know. I'm just anxious." He says smiling at his little girl in his arms.

He'd kill to protect her and keep her.

"So what does James think of this? Because if this is causing problems for you two I can work something out with Dumbledore to bring her with me. I don't want to cause problems between you two." He said as she finishes her bottle then whimpers.

He lifts her over his shoulder and gently pats her back until she gives a very un-lady like burp making Lily laugh.

"I bet that if Sirius was here he'd say she'd give Harry a run for his money." Lily laughs.

"But I really don't care what James thinks Sev; I'm going to help you out anyway. You need help and I want to help you. I mean you helped me out in the past now I want to help you out. I mean it when I say I really appreciate you and everything you helped me with now let me help you."

He smiles and nods.

"Alright but just tell me if it becomes too much for you two and I'll talk to Dumbledore about working something out so that I can have her there with me. I don't want to cause any problems with you and James. I don't want to ruin your happiness."

Lily smiles.

"Christi's mom was lucky to have you and she's lucky to have you. You're still as sweet as ever."

"Thanks Lily."

"You're welcome.

He smiles and they continue having lunch.

After a couple of hours they head home and as soon as Severus steps through the front door his left forearm starts burning and he hisses in pain.

He goes and lies her down and he calls for his house-elf, Koty.

"Koty here Mater Severus."

"Koty, watch Christi for me. I'll set up the snitch in her room to alert you if she wakes up or if anything is wrong with her. If anything is an emergency come and get me at Malfoy Manor _immediately_."

"Koty, do that Master! Koty will look after young Mistress."

He nods and goes and lies his daughter in her crib then reaches into the drawer and activates the Golden Snitch which doubled as a nightlight. He charmed it when Christi was just a newborn to alert Koty if something was wrong with her then Koty would alert him or Joanna.

He releases the Snitch and lets it flutter around the room then he goes and leaves the door cracked marginally then he goes into the Floo and Floo's over to Malfoy's.

* * *

><p>Walking into the house Lily finds James and Sirius in the middle of a game of Wizards Chess. Remus was there as well in a tuto and tiara playing dress up with Ivy keeping her busy.<p>

"AUNTIE LILY!" Ivy squeals when she sees Lily walking in and she runs over to her throwing her arms around her jean clad legs.

"Hi sweetie. I see you got your daddy in a tuto and tiara."

"Yup! Daddy look pwetty! But I want to do ballet! I wanna be a ballawina!"

"Oh really. That sounds fun. I think you'd make a very pretty ballerina. Now let me go and put your cousin down for a nap then we talk more okay?"

"Okay." She said letting go then she runs back over to Remus.

"Daddy ew pwetty!"

"You're very pretty too, sweetheart."

"Check mate." James says a smirk in his tone.

"Cheat." Sirius laughs.

Lily comes back down and she scoops Ivy up and holds her on her hip.

"So how are you sweetie?"

"Good. When can Harry play?"

"Not for a while sweetie. He's still too little."

"Oh! Okay." She exasperated.

"I'm bored. I gots no one to play with."

"I'll play with you munchkin." Sirius says.

"YAY! Doggie Uncle Sirius? Pwease?" she begs pouting her big black eyes going big and wide and shinning.

"Sure kiddo." He said.

"She has you wrapped around her finger tighter than me Sirius." Remus laughs.

"Ha! Yea right Remus. You're the one in the tiara and tuto." Lily chuckles.

"Whatever Moony!" Sirius laughs switching to his Animagus form.

Ivy squeals and runs over to him and throws her arms around his neck then pulls herself up on his back since he was a large black dog and she could ride him.

"Run! Run! Run!" Ivy squeals giggling.

"No running with her Padfoot! Just a slow trot. I don't want her getting hurt." Remus tells his long time friend.

Sirius nods and he trots out of the room making Ivy squeal and giggle. She loved her Uncle Sirius.

* * *

><p>Arriving at Malfoy Manor a child's squeal of delight captures Severus' attention. He looks and smiles seeing his godson reaching out to him from his mother's arms. Severus smiles and goes over takes him.<p>

"Hello Draco." He says bouncing the small boy.

"He's missed his godfather."

"I've missed the little guy to but I've been busy with Christi."

"where is the little girl?"

"Koty's watching her."

"Oh, well the Dark Lord needs you up in the study."

He nods and hands his godson back to his mother then heads upstairs.

He enters the study and gives a respectful bow.

"You called my Lordship?"

"Yes, I need you to brew up a potion for me."

"Of course. Which one?"

"Death-Cap Draught."

"Of course, but it's going to take me a while. It takes two weeks to brew and takes constant attention."

"Then get it done."

"Of course, I just need time to find someone to watch my daughter."

"Do it and do it fast. I want it in two weeks."

He nods and leaves. He heads to the nearest apperation point then he apperate's to Godric's Hallow and sees Sirius in his Animagus form playfully chasing around Ivy.

He approaches the dog and waits for him to notice.

"Black. Where do the Potter live? I need to speak to Lily."

The black dog eyes him suspiciously.

"Black please. I'm not trying to take her from Potter. I just want her happiness and she has that with him."

The dog nods then looks over at the house.

"Thanks."

He heads over there and knocks on the door.

A moment later Lily answers with a squirming Harry in her arms.

"Severus is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just need to ask you if you can watch Christi for two weeks. An old…acquaintance has asked me to brew up a difficult potion that takes two weeks and constant attention." He said.

He couldn't tell her that he was a spy for the Order against Voldemort or she would never trust him. He had to keep it under wraps and away from her unless he was told otherwise by Dumbledore.

"Sure thing. When do you need me to pick her up?"

"How about eight?"

"Sounds good. I'll Floo over."

"Great. See you then."


	2. Chapter 2

**Just wanted to thank KiD CUDi real quick for making the wonderful song of 'Revofev'. It's the best song in the world. We have no rights to it, or the lyrics from the song we used in the summary. We also do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters inside. We own Ivy and Christi (and Joanna, but she's not gonna make an appearance). Anyways, we barely own anything, and listen to KiD CUDi. He's inspirational.**

"Ivy's very advanced for her age." Lily noted to Emmeline as she poured some punch into a foam cup.

"Yes," Emmeline nodded, "Last year she was saying quite a few words. Now she's got a much more advanced vocabulary. She knows most of the Beatles songs, maybe not by heart, but she remembers most of the words and tune. She knows many animal names, she can say her R's perfectly and has fun saying them. She wants a rhinoceros and expects one today for her birthday."

"Last year she was saying all kinds of words to me. Where did she learn the word anointed?" Lily asked, puzzled.

"Remus and I may have been arguing about a Baptism for her. He says his parents want her to get one." Emmeline leaned over to have a view of Remus's parents sitting in the living room, talking with one of the other mothers. "But you know me, I'm Jewish. Remus doesn't care."

"Christina is going to get a Baptism soon." Lily said, "Severus said her mother would have wanted her to get one."

Emmeline smiled and then Remus, James and Sirius came in from the backyard. Sirius exclaimed, "Meat's done!"

"Chicken! Chicken!" Ivy exclaimed.

"It's your birthday, love. You can have whatever you want." Remus beamed and scooped her up.

"I want a chicken, daddy." she demanded. He carried her to the kitchen where all the other neighborhood children were sitting around the table. Ivy was having a very big birthday party that year. She wanted it to be Beatles themed, so it was. Emmeline had planned it all out, making sure the food was exactly right, doing the cake from scratch. She didn't know why she went through the trouble for a two-year-olds birthday party.

"Here you are," Sirius said, cutting up a few pieces of grilled chicken for Ivy.

"Here's the honey," Emmeline handed it to him, "Monitor it."

"She likes honey on chicken?"

"Loves it. I can't get her to eat chicken without honey." Emmeline shrugged, "I suppose it's just her preferred condiment."

"So, Ivy." Sirius sat down next to her. James was on her other side and Remus was cutting her chicken into even smaller pieces, "How's ballet going?"

"I like ballet." Ivy said, shoving a honey-coated piece of chicken into her mouth, "I go up on tippy-toes and I twirl around-" the rest of what she said was not very recognizable.

"She's really good at ballet." Remus said.

"I'm a ballerina!" Ivy squealed, "I wanna dance to the Beatles."

"Well I'm glad you're enjoying it."

Ivy looked up at Remus, "Daddy, am I gon' get a rhinoceros today?"

"Possibly a stuffed animal rhinoceros. We can't have a real one, now can we?"

"Yes." she said simply. Sirius and James laughed at her statement. "Daddy, can I get a puppy then?"

"I don't know… You might want to ask your mother about that."

"Mummy!" Ivy screeched, "Can I have a puppy?"

"Maybe when you're older and can take care of it yourself." she said.

"What about a kitty?"

"Maybe. Eat your chicken."

"Okay, mummy." she said.

Meanwhile, Severus was walking up to the Lupin household. He was going to Ivy's birthday since Emmeline had no problem with him going. Also, Christi and Ivy were good friends. Well, as good of friends as two toddlers could be.

"Come on now, Christi. Quit crying, we're going to see your friend Ivy."

At the name she knew, Christi stopped crying. Tears stopped coming out of her eyes and she stopped screaming. Severus knocked on the from door, which was answered by Lily promptly.

"Severus! It's nice to see you!" she smiled.

"Yes, we're here for Ivy's birthday. Got her a gift, too." he said, holding up a colorful pink gift bag. Lily took the bag and invited him inside.

As they walked into the kitchen and Ivy saw her friend, she exclaimed, "Christi!"

"Ivy!" Christi shouted aggressively. Severus placed her in a high chair.

"Wow, Emmeline." Snape said, looking at Ivy, "She's looking more like you each day."

"That's code for she never looked like you, Remus." Sirius teased.

It was true. Ivy had never looked too much like Remus. She had Emmeline's milky white skin, curly black hair, onyx-colored eyes and blood-red lips. When she got sick-which she did often, with colds and allergies-she looked slightly like Remus. A sickly pallor, dark circles under her eyes and her hair lost its curl, bounce and shine. Her attitude at this age couldn't be more unlike either of her parents though.

Both Remus and Emmeline were quiet, thoughtful people. They generally weren't outgoing or crazy as children or even as teenagers. It was a wonder how they fell in love, they were so quiet. Ivy, on the other hand what loud, obnoxious and very sociable. She asked strangers in the park what their names are, she starts singing Beatles songs at Gringotts, and when Emmeline would take her shopping for clothes, Ivy would ask random shoppers if she looked good in a new dress. She was quite the troublemaker as well, something Remus blamed on Sirius.

"Mummy's pretty!" Ivy exclaimed.

"Yes she is, and you look just like her." Remus cooed.

"Daddy's pretty too." Ivy said.

"I certainly think so." Emmeline smiled at her husband.

"Sirius," Ivy said, her mouth full of chicken, "What'd you get me for my birthday?" Of course, it came out more like 'Firius, what'd shoo get me for my birfday?'

"I got you a fantastic present." he teased her.

She sighed exaggeratedly and put another piece of chicken in her mouth, "We all know _that_, but what is it?"

"Want a hint?"

"Yes please!" she nodded furiously, making her curls bounce. "Is it a Beatles song?"

"How could I get you one song?"

"A Beatles _record_ then?" she clarified, though she was a little too young to know what a record was.

"It… Is…" he said antagonizing, "a toy."

"A dolly?"

"It might be. But it might be a stuffed animal."

"Is it a dollhouse? I've wanted one forever but mummy and daddy always said no to me."

"You're wanted one _forever_, is that it?" Sirius smirked.

"Yes, since the beginning of eternity!"

"Pet, you haven't been alive long enough for that." James noted to her.

"Well nearly that long." she rolled her eyes.

"Well, Ivy, you might just be getting a dollhouse today." Remus smiled.

"Well then we need to get right to the present opening! Time for cake!" she demanded. As everyone was done with their food, they obliged and shut off the lights after Emmeline had lit all the candles on Ivy's cake-chocolate with pictures of the Beatles frosted (magically) onto it by Emmeline.

"Beatles!" Ivy squealed excitedly. The candles illuminated each band member's face, and they smiled at her since that's how Emmeline charmed them. They suddenly broke into song, singing their song 'Birthday'.

"_You say it's your birthday… It's my birthday too, yeah!_" Ivy started giggled toward the end, incredibly giddy about it. Once it ended, only Paul McCartney remained animated and said, "Happy birthday, Ivy. Hope you have a good one."

With that, he became still again. Ivy was so surprised and shocked, "Who made my cake?"

"I did, dear." Emmeline said.

"Thank you so much, mummy! I love you!" Ivy squealed, hugging her mother tight.

"Your welcome. Now make a wish and blow your candles out, pet."

"I wish for-"

"Don't say it out loud!" James, Remus and Sirius exclaimed at the same time. Remus explained to her, "It won't come true if you say it aloud, dear. And don't tell us afterwards or it won't come true."

"Okay!" she said. She whispered something to her self and then blew the candles out.

"What'd you wish for, love?" Lily asked.

"Did you just hear Daddy? It won't come true if I tell you." Ivy said, pursing her lips stuffily.

"You're right, my bad." Lily chuckled. She helped served cake to each child and Ivy dug right into hers.

"We need to finish fast so I can get my dollhouse!"

"Don't eat too quickly, dear. You'll get a stomachache." Emmeline warned.

"No I won't." she said as she finished her cake, "See, I'm just fine."

"Wait till later." Sirius chuckled.

XXX

After the party, Christi, Ivy and Harry sat in the living room playing together. Christi and Ivy were playing with Ivy's brand new dollhouse and Harry seemed quite bored with that so he was trying to ruin their fun, unsuccessfully.

The adults sat in the kitchen. Lily and Emmeline washed the many dirty dishes and they all talked amongst themselves about the worries and troubles of the arising Dark Lord.

"James and I still haven't gotten word from Dumbledore about when we can come out of hiding." Lily said to them. She, James and Harry had been in hiding since Harry was born, but thankfully both Sirius and Remus lived in Godric's Hollow so they were close enough to visit frequently.

"We're so anxious." James said, "It seems like any day now You-Know-Who is going to come and… Well," he shrugged, "And with Peter showing his true colors now about being with the Dark side, nothings too safe."

"It's taken extra security measures to keep the Dark Lord away." Lily said.

"It's terrifying…" Sirius whispered, "I have a mission on Saturday."

"Where is it?" James asked.

"Iceland I believe. It bloody irks me that those Death People are attacking people way over there. What've they done to deserve it?"

"What has anyone done to deserve their deaths? Marlene McKinnon. What did she do? Dorcas Meadows. What did she do? She got it personally from Voldemort. Mary Macdonald… Poor girl got attacked when we were still in school."

Emmeline and Lily flinched. They were good friends with all three of those girls. They had shared a dorm. Their deaths were a touchy subject.

"Don't know who's gonna be next." Remus said, "Could be you and Lils… Could be me and Em… It could be you, Sirius. Edgar Bones, or the Prewett boys…"

"Not boys anymore." Emmeline said, "Men, they are. Gideon and Fabian have grown up. They are defenders now."

"No one can really defend themselves in this time."

"What's going to happen when the children get older? Are they going to have to grow up fearing everything? Grow up being afraid to go around the corner in case Death Eaters are lurking there, waiting to kill. With Remus being a werewolf, he's in more danger." Lily said mournfully.

"You're in quite a bit of danger too, Lily, you being Muggle-born and all of that." James sighed sadly.

"What about Ivy, being my daughter… The daughter of a b-beast…" Remus said, his voice almost cracking. Emmeline sat next to him and held his hand.

"You are no beast, Remus." she looked him in the eyes.

"They think I am, though."

"Remus, what they think doesn't matter!" Lily exclaimed, "They're chauvinistic, pureblood-supremacy-obsessed freaks who have nothing better to do but torture and kill innocent people for no reason at all, fixate their little minds on the ridiculous Dark Arts, and faun over and hail to some monstrous dictator-like bastard!" she paused and looked at Sirius, "Sorry, am I insulting your family?"

"I couldn't have described them better myself." he smiled charmingly.

"Look, maybe… Maybe it'll all be over soon." Severus spoke for the first time in the conversation, "Maybe he'll fall soon."

"Please," James scoffed, "Like you believe that."

"I do. I hope he does, that… That freak. I think what Lily said was spot-on. He deserves to perish." Severus said honestly.

James observed him, looking for signs of him lying. When he could find none, when he found that Severus was completely truthful, he shook his hand, "Maybe I underestimated you… Severus."


	3. Chapter 3

As she chased the two one year olds, Lily laughed. She and James were babysitting since Severus had something come up at work and needed them to baby sit Christi.

James jumped out, making Christi and Harry scream and giggled. They turned to run off but only got scooped up and held on each of James' hips.

"I see you caught the two little hyper children." Lily laughed and took Christi.

Christi smiled and wrapped her arms around Lily's neck. She lay her head on her shoulder and yawned, "I love you, mummy!" then rubbed her tiny eyes. Christi had started calling Lily 'mummy' as she was the only mother the young girl has known.

"Do you think she'll stop calling you 'mummy'?" James asked as they brought the two upstairs to bed.

"I don't know but when she's older, maybe four or five I'll tell her. But she does need a mother." She said as they tucked the two into the crib in Harry's room. James had charmed a snitch to be a nightlight making it glow. He activated it and then put up charms so that if one of the kids woke up crying it would alert them.

They headed downstairs once again and into the kitchen to make some tea.

"Are you sure its such a good idea to let it go on that long?" he asked.

"I think its fine. She needs a mother for right now and if she wants to call me mummy then I'm going to let her."

James nods as the door burst open and the Dark Lord comes sweeping in. Lily and James both gasped and James grabbed her hand. They both agreed what they would do if all the security and protection had failed. If the Dark Lord did find them, they had a plan.

It was that Lily would Apparate upstairs and Apparate at a meeting place outside of London with Harry. James would hold him off as she did that. He would do whatever it took, whether it was to duel him or to fight him physically to get his wand out of his hands, James would do it. Once the Dark Lord was either subdued or had fought off James and gone upstairs, Lily was supposed to be gone. James would Apparate to their meeting place and they would have escaped the Dark Lord once again.

"Hello James and Lillian Potter. Where's the boy?" he asked with a sadistic smirk.

Lily focused on Aparating upstairs to where the Harry and Christi were sleeping soundly. Now she would have to worry about getting two babies. James started to hold him off for as long as he could. He silently and wandlessly cast the Disarming Charm at the Dark Lord but he blocked it.

"Annoying pest! Stupe-" the Dark Lord's enchantment was cut off as James cast a Shield Charm around himself, again wordlessly. He took out his wand, prepared for a duel.

"_Confundus!_" James hissed. He was panicking. He hoped to slow the Dark Lord down as he wracked his brain for spells. It certainly bought him time, as it hit him and he sat there motionlessly for a moment. He awoke a moment later though and sent a _Crucio_ at James. James deflected it with a little work.

"You will never beat me, mortal." Voldemort chuckled, "_Expelliarmus!_"

James deflected this, too, and said, "_Immobulus_!"

Voldemort repelled the silly spell and tried to stupefy James again, with no luck. James had cast a rather strong Shield Charm around himself. It couldn't be dissolved with just a _Finite Incantatum. _"_Petrificus Totalus!_" Voldemort sent, but it was again sent away. After more spells getting deflected by one another, Voldemort finally sent a spell so strong to break the Shield. "_Crucio_!" Voldemort hissed. A seething pain shot through James, and he dropped to the ground. After a few moments of torture, Voldemort lifted the spell. He waited for James, who was panting heavily, to stand. "Come on, blood traitor! Stand! _Imperio_!" he hissed, making James stand. When the spell was released, he almost dropped again, but stayed standing. He forced himself to regain strength.

They didn't do anything for a long moment. Then James breathed in and asked, "why haven't you killed me yet?"

"Well," Voldemort snickered, "Would you rather that?"

"Of course not!"

"I haven't because I'm thinking of stupefying you. I might petrify you and make you and your wife watch as I kill your son."

"You won't kill our son." James shook his head, "You won't kill Harry."

"_Stupefy_!" Voldemort yelled. James got thrown back into the wall and slumped down it, unconscious. "_Mobilicorpus_!" He hisses. The Dark Lord swept upstairs, bringing James with him by the spell. He began to search all the rooms. One by one, he checked each room from the bathrooms to the bedrooms, and finally Harry's nursery. Once he got to Harry's room he found Lily on the defense. "Filthy mudblood. Move."

"Shove off." Lily hissed, protecting her son.

"You are nothing compared to me mudblood."

"Well you haven't met a mother before we'd kill to protect our children."

"You're a weak little mudblood who doesn't even deserve a wand."

"You know, the fact that you're wanting to kill Harry proves that you're threatened by him."

"Oh, you girl, you heard the prophecy, didn't you? It said 'the one with the power to bring the Dark Lord down'."

"And you can't take on a little baby?" she taunted, "You're weak. Nothing but a scared priss. Nothing but a mental, terrible dictator, you are."

"Don't taunt me, mudblood!"

"Do you think this sweet boy could take you down? The fact that you even considered it makes you incredibly unstable."

"_Stupefy-_"

"_Protego_!" she waved it off, but he killed the spell with a flick of his wand.

"Why, the Muggle knows how to duel! I would never have expected that from a filthy mudblood."

"How did you even find us?" she asked darkly, "We had protection. How could you have known we were here?"

"You old pal Wormtail told me." he smirked, "The bloody bastard sold you out. Not a very good choice making him as Secret Keeper. Maybe you should have stuck with your best friend Sirius Black. However, I would have gotten to him too. Eventually."

"How'd you know he was the Secret Keeper before?"

"Pettigrew told me everything. Quite a sellout, he is. Snitch… Tattler." he smirked and cackled evilly.

Lily growled and she quickly charmed up protection spells around Harry's cribs as the young boy had woken up and started crying. It broke her heart to hear him cry and not be able to do anything to sooth him without risking him getting hurt.

"Now, out of my way, you silly mortal!" he cried, "_Stupefy_!"

Once he had her and James set in the perfect spot to watch him kill Harry, he set himself on disabling the charms Lily had put up. After that was done, Voldemort grinned a sadistic smirk and approached Harry like a lion approaches its prey.

"I'll be rid of you now. You're nothing but a thorn in my side." first he turned toward Lily and James, waking them up but keeping them immobile. "Ready to watch your son die?" he smirked, "_Avada Kadavra_!" He watched as the curse rushed toward the screaming infant. Christi had woken up in the process and was crying too. Voldemort had not noticed before, but now cast a silencing spell on her to shut her up.

The spell hit Harry in the forehead, leaving a searing scar. Harry began to cry and cry. The spell rushed back to Voldemort, practically ricocheting off of Harry's head. It hit him squarely in the chest. He yells out as it hits him and feels a shattering in his chest that felt like bones, his hart, his lungs and everything else.

Voldemort crumpled to the ground in pain and used the last of his energy to disparate. Where Voldemort went, they didn't know. They supposed he died once he arrived. They were glad for it, but for now the couple couldn't do anything.

Harry started screaming even more as there's a loud explosion. He sits there in his crib screaming. Both Christi and Harry were screaming. Tears poured out both their eyes, but sound came out of only one.

"Mummy!" he wails reaching through the bars for his mother.

James and Lily heard the Floo go off downstairs around thirty minutes later. Severus had arrived to check on them. "James? Sunflower?" he calls out worried. He knew about the attack but he couldn't say anything. As soon as he had gotten home he Floo called Dumbledore and the Order who immediately alerted the Aurors.

Neither one of them could say anything, but Severus heard Harry's cries and rushed upstairs. He rushes over and looks at him.

"Lily, James!" he exclaimed, "_Relashio_!" he hissed. They were released from their immobile status. Lily rushed over to Harry and picked him up, trying to quiet him.

"Hush, child, it's okay. He will never hurt you again."

"What happened?" Snape asked, picking up his own child. "_Finite Incantatum_."

Christi's screams filled the room. However, she was easily calmed down and went right to sleep in Severus's arms.

"He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named attacked us." James said breathlessly.

"Lily? Sunflower?" Severus asked, using the childhood name he gave her so many years ago.

"Severus, thank you so much for coming to our rescue." she smiled warmly.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Sore." she shrugged. She continued to try and quiet Harry. He settled down after a few minutes and Lily handed him, now sleeping, to James.

"Are you hurt?" Severus asked them.

"I'm fine. How about you, James?"

James shrugged, still feeling pain from the _Crucio_. "I'm okay. Harry has a scar…" he said worriedly, looking at his infant's red forehead.

"He does! Is he bleeding?"

"No. It's just red."

"I'll take you all to Saint Mungo's. It won't hurt the both of you to get checked out as well." Severus said. He put his hands on both their shoulders and Apparated them all to Saint Mungo's. Healers greeted them immediately, having been alerted to their coming.

"We'll take the children." two female Healers said.

"Sir, come with me." a male said, taking James.

"And you with me, ma'am." a nurse in white said and took Lily.

"Sire, were you hurt in the attack?" a nurse asked Severus.

"I wasn't in it at all." Severus said, "But that's my daughter." he said, pointing in the direction of where Christi was being taken.

"Alright, go with them then." she said, ushering him along.

XXX

The family was checked out and said to be fine. Harry wasn't hurt in any way. He would have the scar for his entire life though. It was a wonder how he survived. They had deduced it to that Voldemort had performed the spell wrong, it had ricocheted and hit Voldemort instead. Maybe there was an extra protection charm that Voldemort forgot to take down and it caused the explosion.

James and Lily were both fine and not harmed to an extreme. They all stayed overnight and had to be in separate rooms. Sirius, Remus, Emmeline and Ivy had arrived at the hospital to be with them late that night, and arrived again the next morning. They got released then and Remus, Sirius and Emmeline helped them home.

However, their home was a different thing. It had been blown to pieces. There had been an after-explosion after they left. It was still burning and magic firemen were still trying to extinguish the flames. Their house was totally ruined. They had no where to stay now. They had no where to live.

"James, Lily, you and Harry are welcome to stay with us until you get back on your feet." Emmeline offered.

"Thank you so much, Em. We appreciate it." Lily smiled and hugged her friend.

"You and James can stay in the third room. If you want, you can set Harry up in the fourth, or even with Ivy if you want." Remus said, "Our house is big enough. And you can stay as long as you want."

"Thanks, mate." James smiled.

Weeks passed and after searching for remains in their house's rubble, they hadn't gotten far. They had collected new clothes for Harry and themselves. They had gotten new belongings. They had also bought a new house not far from where they used to live. The remains of their house had been demolished so they didn't have to look at them anymore.

Furniture was still being bought and delivered to the new house, so they couldn't move in quite yet. However, it wouldn't be long until they were packing their few bags and moving out of the Lupin household.

Word had also spread about the Dark Lord falling. The Potters were famous. Cameras flashed at them constantly, they dodged news reporters in public. Everywhere they went there was somebody wanting the story. Everyone knew who they were. People praised them-hailed them. They were the ones responsible for the fall of the Dark Lord and everyone was grateful. Harry had been labeled 'The Boy Who Lived' since he survived the Killing Curse. He was more famous that James and Lily at only seventeen months, but they still got their share of publicity. Not as if they wanted it in the first place.

But for now, things were alright. Things were smooth. Things were harmless. If things could stay that way, that would be delightful for them. But they knew nothing stayed. Things evolved. Things would revolt.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sirius!" Ivy exclaimed, running to her father's friend and jumping into his arms.

"Hey, Poison Ivy!" he smiled, catching her and kissing her black, curly hair, pulled back into an elegant bun. She was wearing a black leotard with three-quarter sleeves and pink tights. She had just finished a ballet lesson and Sirius was picking her up, at suggestion from Remus. Sirius had been away for the past three months, trying to catch a particularly terrible Dark wizard in Salem, Massachusetts, in America.

It was eight years after the fall of the Dark Lord. Ivy was ten years old now, doing fantastic in ballet. Harry and Christi were nine. Both had long forgotten the invasion on that fateful Halloween day. Everything was forgotten and everyone was doing fine now. Both Sirius and James had become Aurors, opting to get jobs to spend their day instead of just living off their inherited fortunes.

Sirius, speaking of, had become a terrible influence on Ivy. While she viewed both James and Sirius as uncles, she was ridiculously closer to Sirius. She was somewhat of a scrapper, getting into fights with any child on her street in Godric's Hollow. She had also had a few curse words slip in the presence of adults. Usually, it was with her father and Sirius, other adults coming and going in the event. Remus would hear it, be shocked for a millisecond before looking up to glare at Sirius. However, Remus could never forbid Ivy to spend so much time with Sirius. She loved him like a stuffed bear.

"How are you, darling?" he asked, setting her down and leading him to his motorbike.

"I'm well!" she smiled, and gasped upon seeing the bike, "Lorelei!" she exclaimed, then giggled at the name Sirius gave it years ago.

"Yeah, I got her cleaned just a few days ago. Look pretty nice, isn't she?"

"She's looking amazing!" Ivy exclaimed, "When did you get back from America?"

"Just last night. I visited the Mansion but you were already asleep."

Sirius and Ivy had a bunch of inside nicknames for everything. Lorelei was the motorbike, they called the incredibly large house that Remus and Emmeline had bought only the previous year just a few streets from their old one the Mansion, they named Remus's Lycanthropy 'The Rabbit' because Sirius had told Ivy that they used to call it his 'furry little problem', and they had different names for dozens of other things. Ivy called Sirius Canis Majoris while he in turn called Ivy Poison Ivy.

She pouted, "You should have woken me up!"

"You looked like an angel in your sleep." he smiled, knowing she hated being called an angel.

"I'm no angel…" she growled as he helped her onto the bike. He got on behind her and reached to grab the handlebars.

"Well I didn't get to see you, but I got to see Travvers." he smiled.

"You got to see Travis and not me! Ugh, I'm _so_ jealous! That's unfair!"

Travis James Lupin was Ivy's little brother. Emmeline had gotten pregnant with him a month months after Halloween when Voldemort died. He was born July second. Ivy had never been jealous of him so much. She definitely loved her little brother and rarely got frustrated with him.

"Well Travis was too hyper last night to go to bed."

She growled, "I knew giving him those cookies was a bad idea!" then she gasped and looked up fearfully at him, "Don't tell Mother I did that!"

He chuckled, "Don't worry, child, I won't."

Soon, they were at the big house. Sirius noticed she fell asleep as he stopped the motorbike in front of the house. She always did. The engine of anything-a car, a motorcycle, a train-it always put her straight to sleep. But as soon as the engine would stop, she would wake up immediately.

He was hesitant on turning off the motorbike, watching her sleep angelically. However, as Remus exited the house to come out and say hi, Sirius turned it off.

Ivy started and screamed, "Ahh!" she shrieked, then blushed. She looked up and saw her father, and she smiled. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Hello, darling." he smiled, kissing her forehead. The two Marauders walked her inside, where she saw Severus Snape's black traveling cloak hanging on the coat rack.

"Is Christi here? Or is it just Sevy?" Ivy asked. She called Severus 'Sevy' since it sort of annoyed him. When she _really _wanted to bug him, she would call him Snapers or Snappers.

"Christi's here too." Remus said.

"Christi!" Ivy squealed. She and Christi had become good friends over the years and Ivy was even teaching her how to fight.

"Ivy!" Christi exclaimed from the other room. Christi and Ivy hugged and they giggled. This was a regular occurrence. "How was ballet?"

"Good. How's my house?" Ivy teased.

"Super. Except my stepmum is really dragging me down."

"What's ol' Viv done now?" Ivy asked. Severus had married again when Christi was about six years old. Her new stepmother, Vivian, constantly annoyed her. Vivian was very uptight, and a neat freak. She always wanted complete order, and cared so much about looks. Christi just wanted to be natural, but Vivian was always fixing her.

"Well first of all, tonight we have a Christmas party at the Malfoy Manor. I just can't stand Draco at all! They expect me to play nice with him."

"Well they don't know what I've taught you." Ivy smirked devilishly.

"And Vivian's already picked my clothes out! Some stuffy, white mix of taffeta and chiffon. Who wears white, anyways?"

"I do. Now what else has she done today?"

"She told me I couldn't wear what I wanted."

"What'd you wanna wear?"

"That green dress! But she told me I couldn't leave the house in it and made me put on this!" she motioned to her outfit, a sky blue, short sleeved dress and black Mary-Janes.

"Okay, well firstly, I support her veto of that green dress. The entire dress is a bad idea and brings bad luck. When you've worn it around me, I've broken my wrist, lost a fight and Sirius has stumbled in drunk and at that time it was noon."

Christi huffed at her dislike of the dress, "I love that dress!"

"You don't look great in it, dear." Ivy said, flicking on the Muggle radio in the kitchen. "Second, you look fabulous in _that _dress. The blue color suits you."

"You're ten, what do you know about fashion?"

"I'm a decade old. I know more that you, single-digit."

"We're one year apart!"

"And obviously I know so much more about fashion than you do!"

Christi narrowed her eyes, but Vivian walked in before she could retort. Vivian smiled at the two girls, "Hello, young ladies."

"Hi, Vivian." Christi muttered, unwilling her call her mum or even mother.

"Hello, Viv!" Ivy smiled brightly, though Vivian hated the nickname.

"Ivy, shouldn't you put on some clothes instead of staying in that leotard and tights? It's rather chilly outside. You might catch a cold…"

"I don't think it's cold." Ivy smiled, "Plus, we aren't outside."

"But-"

"Hush! Bob Marley's on!"

Vivian looked taken-aback when Ivy began to sing _I Shot the Sherriff _and started making herself a peanut butter sandwich. "My word. Christi, if _you _ever spoke to me like that, your father would hear about it in a heartbeat. And I would ensure you got the proper punishment."

Ivy smiled brightly, "Well there's the thing, Viv. Christi isn't saying it, and I'm not your daughter."

Vivian left in a huff and Christi muttered, "Neither am I."

Ivy giggled and then Harry walked in. "Hello, birds."

"Stop repeating things that Sirius says." Ivy rolled her eyes and went back to singing the song playing.

"What do you want?" Christi asked.

"I'm rather bored." he shrugged. Ivy finished making her sandwich and got out a tall glass and the milk. She barely managed to not splash the milk as she poured it, and had to grab a towel to clean the outside edges of the glass where milk had dribbled down. She took her meal to the table and sat down, tapping her hand on the wood to the beat of the music as _Three Little Birds_ began to play.

"_Don't worry… about a thing_…" Ivy began to sing, and pointed her finger rhythmically at them both as she sand the next line, "_Cause every little thing, is gonna b alright! Singin' don't worry… about a thing…"_

"Anyways," Harry interrupted, "I'm so bored!"

"Go bother your dad or Sirius then." Ivy said.

"I already did! They told me to bother you two!" then he looked at Ivy, "Will you give me a bite of your sandwich?"

"No. I have cooties." Ivy said seriously.

Harry made a face and went back to the other subject. "Well what are you two doing?"

"Well I'm eating…" Ivy shrugged, "Christi's bitching about her mum."

"Ivy Lynn!" a shrill scold was heard. Ivy froze and turned to see her mother. Lily was with her, highly amused at the ten-year-olds vocabulary.

"Sorry, Mum… It slipped…"

"Who taught you that word?"

Ivy was about to respond but her father, Severus, Sirius and James were heard in the living room, walking toward the kitchen. Sirius was talking, "So I don't know what you three are bothering my about. I don't know anything about relationships."

They walked through the threshold of the kitchen, they immediately caught air of the tension in the room. Ivy looked at her mother pointedly, and looked at Sirius the same way. Emmeline let out an infuriated grunt, "Sirius Black, stop influencing my daughter!"

"Em, love, it'll happen whether we want it or not." Remus said sadly. Emmeline growled and took Ivy's hand, leading her out of the kitchen.

"No, what about Bob Marley?" Ivy whined, not caring about her snack at all. Christi got up and followed, shoving past her father quickly. Sirius looked at Harry.

"What'd Ivy say to make her mum so piss-mad?" he quickly corrected himself.

"The B-word."

"Damn it!" Sirius cursed.

James sighed, "Don't go rubbing off on my child too."

"I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap, young lady!" Emmeline shouted from the bathroom. Ivy shrieked and Remus started.

"Better go save my daughter…"

XXX

After Ivy was released from Emmeline's furious grips, she was sent outside along with Christi and Harry. They could still hear her giving Sirius a definite tongue-lashing for being such a bad influence. Ivy, however, didn't see the big deal.

After playing outside with a football or a little while, Ivy saw a few of her neighbors, boys around her age, hanging out a few houses down. She skipped over to them and saw it was Roger Davies who was a year older than her, Eddie Carmichael who was her age, Kenneth Towler who was the same age as Roger, and Zacharias Smith, who was also her age. She smiled at them brightly and greeted them.

"Hey Rog, Ed, Ken and Zach." she said.

"Hey, Ivy." they greeted her before turning their attention to what they were doing. Ivy then realized they were doing something interesting and somewhat illegal.

They were all standing by the Towler's family car-a 1980 Alpha Romeo. It wasn't too rare that people on this street owned cars. Some wizards needed an alternate mode of transportation besides Apparition and Flooing.

Roger was holding a manipulated wire coat hanger. It was wedged inside the window between the glass and rubber. He was moving it around, side to side, up and down, and the lock that was visible through the window was moving. Zacharias was jiggling the handle of the door very hopelessly. Eddie and Kenneth were standing on either side of them, looking around shiftily and giving pointers to Roger.

"What are you doing?" Ivy asked suspiciously.

"Trying to break into Kenneth's mum's car." Roger said gruffly.

"Why on earth are you doing that?"

"Well, Mum's sleeping and we need to go somewhere." Ken said, "And our Floo isn't working."

"Where do you need to go?"

"St. Mungo's. Cormac is inside bleeding rather badly." Eddie said. Cormac McLaggen was another friend of the four. The five of them were popular around the neighborhood and had befriended Ivy quickly when they learned she could kick any of their behinds.

Ivy knew all about each of them. She knew how Roger's brother died fatefully, she knew about Eddie's father, a Dark wizard. She knew about how Kenneth Ms. Towler was an alcoholic single parent who neglected Kenneth quite a bit. She knew about how Cormac's father was a former Auror, but got suspended indefinitely for being drunk on the job and killing an innocent wizard, and she knew how Zach's mum cheated on his dad, who had a night job, and they got together during the night. This caused for Zach to be an insomniac, and caused his harsh snippiness.

"Oh my goodness!" Ivy exclaimed, shocked, "What happened?"

"We were playing Quidditch out back and he fell off his broom."

Ivy gasped, "Is he going to be alright?"

"Well he's awake. We're having him drink some water. We don't know what else to do." Roger sighed, and he finally got the door open.

"Well I wish you luck." Ivy said as Eddie and Kenneth brought out Cormac, who had a rather nasty head wound. "Safe driving!" she said as if there were nothing wrong with it. She looked back to her house where Travis was playing with Harry and Christi. They were slightly intimidated of her older boy friends. Ivy skipped back over to them and smiled, "I think we can go back inside now. I don't hear any more yelling."

Just as she said that though, the front door opened and Snape and Vivian walked out of the house, "Christina, it's time to go."

"Okay, Daddy." Christi said goodbye to Ivy and Harry and went with her father and stepmother to the fireplace inside.

XXX

That night, Christi reluctantly put on the dress and let Vivian do her hair in a elegant French twist. Then Christi was forced to sit on a stool by Vivian's vanity, watching her get ready for the party. Vivian said it was so that she didn't soil her dress, but Christi thought it was just to torture her.

Severus Flooed them there, not before reminding Christi that she must be on her best behavior to avoid being grounded for the next millennium. Christi had secretly rolled her eyes when he looked away and a minute later, they were in the Malfoy's living room. Christi was quickly ushered off to the children's area as Severus and Vivian went to mingle.

Christi was immediately bothered by a certain sly, blond serpent names Draco Malfoy. Son of the host and hostess of the party, the cunning and annoying little boy took any and every chance to bother Christi. Every time he saw her, he chose to bug the living daylights out of her. It was a surprise she hadn't socked him in the face yet.

"Well, it's the Snape girl." Christi saw him smirk out of the corner of her eye. He came into her view, his hair clicked back, black bowtie looking painfully tight around his neck, his cold grey eyes glistening with mischief.

"And it's the annoying sleaze." she countered, using one of the insults Ivy always called him. Ivy had used a long string of them once, and it had involved several curses too. Luckily, Remus and Emmeline hadn't heard their daughter's speech.

"That's the best you can do?" he taunted.

"No, but I don't want to call you an intolerable, disgusting, misery-inducing, creepy, irksome, infuriating, buttface."

Draco smirked, brushing off the insult and said, "Enough words beginning with the letter I for you there?"

Christi frowned and waved at him, as if shooing a fly, "Go away, you're really bothering me."

"Well, that's my job. To bother every girl that comes my way."

"How do you suppose you'll reproduce, then?" she smirked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, taken-aback.

"No girl will ever want you if you're such a nuisance. Every lady will think you're a jerk. And then you'll never get a girlfriend, never get a wife, never get a shag and never get a child."

His eyes widened at her language, "Well, you randy little minx." he smirked, "Such a vocabulary on that mouth of yours!"

She pursed her lips, "Why thank you."

"Now anyways, you'll never get a shag yourself you're such a prude."

Her eyes flashed suddenly. She had been ticked off all day and he was just setting her off even more, "what did you just call me?"

"A prude. You're stuck-up towards me and everyone, you're specific, a no-fun know-it-all, quite a wicked little witch with no personality and no sense of humor. Quite like your stepmother, actually. She must have rubbed off on you quite a bit."

Christi growled and walked towards him, standing right in front of him in just two steps. "How dare you, Draco Malfoy!" she shrieked, drawing attention to herself.

She suddenly drew her arm back and then swung it forward, hitting Draco square in the face. He fell to the ground in pain. He cried out and began to weep. "Oh, she killed me! She killed me!" He was holding his nose, and when he moved his hands, Christi saw that they and his nose (and surrounding areas) were rather bloody. He kept shrieking, "She killed me! She killed me!" as his mother and father rushed over.

"What did you do to my son?" Lucius asked venomously.

"I only punched him." she shrugged. Severus and Vivian ran over as well. Everyone was quiet now and looking in shock. Several mothers clutched there children.

"Christina Novalee Snape!" Severus hissed. Vivian was looking on in horror. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?"

She shrugged, "Draco was annoying me so much! He insulted me!"

"I don't care! That doesn't give you the right to hit him!" he scolded and turned to Lucius and Narcissa, "Look, I'm so sorry for my daughter's behavior. I don't know why she did that, she's never been violent before!"

Lucius looked at him stonily, "Save it. Come, Draco, Narcissa. Let's go to St. Mungo's."

"You and Draco go. I'll stay here and make sure everyone leaves alright." Narcissa said shakily, looking at the Snape's she said, "I think you should go."

Severus nodded and apologized again, then Christi felt a strange pull in her stomach to find that her father had Apparated them home.

XXX

"Well, you've broken Draco's nose." Severus informed her two days later.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." Christi looked down.

"Christi, I don't know what the bloody hell you were thinking."

"He called me a prude! I acted out of rage and instinct." she said, using the excuse Ivy told her to use if she was in a situation like this. Her older friend would surely be proud.

"Then fight with words, Christi, not with actions." he sighed exasperatedly, sitting next to her. He looked at her and said, "I'm very disappointed in you."

"I know…"

"You're grounded for three weeks. And you can't go over to any of your friends' houses, including Ivy."

"But Ivy's family." Christi pointed out, holding a smirk back.

"Not technically. Therefore, I can use her as a withdrawal. Now, Vivian has made a list of chores for you to do as punishment. I'd go start on them if I were you."

Christi grumbled, but got up and headed toward the kitchen. She didn't look back at her father, who had dozens of thoughts running through his head.

_Who taught her this fighting? Was it Sirius? Was it Ivy? Sirius taught it to Ivy, so one of them much have taught Christi. At least she's not cursing like Ivy is… Yet… Oh, she'll be the death of me… Quite an arm she has… Surprising… And a temper… Quite like her mother, she is._


	5. Chapter 5

Sitting in the Three Broomsticks next to their animatedly talking children, Lily and Severus have a conversation amongst themselves. Lily had Floo called Severus to meet up with him for lunch with the kids since she had them. However, she needed some time with the girls so she, Vivian, Emmeline, and Sirius's new girlfriend Caitlin were going out for a hen's day together.

"Thanks Sev, I really appreciate this. I just need a break away from all the accidental magic for a bit. I mean I know it's not their faults but after repairing the same vase two dozen times you need away from it."

"Understandable." He said as a petite woman comes over.

"Lily Potter?" she asks.

"Who's asking?" Severus growls.

"Caitlin Petit. Sirius' girlfriend." She said making both Christi and Harry spit their Butterbeers out, staring wide eyed.

She was at least five foot three, brunette and gorgeous. She wasn't the normal blonde bimbo Sirius usually went out with and dumped a week later.

"Bloody hell!" Harry and Christi say in unison.

"Language!" Severus and Lily scold their children.

"Sorry." they mutter, looking down shamefully.

"You're Caitlin, Sirius's girlfriend… Wow, not what I expected." Lily says.

"Yeah, cause his girls are usually a blonde bimbo." Christi mutters making Harry laugh.

"Christina Novalee." Severus growls at her after hearing her low comment.

"Sorry, Daddy." She mutters.

"Alright you two are you ready to head up to the castle?" Severus asks the two nine year olds.

"Yes!" they cry out excitedly. Severus smiles and takes the two kids and Apparates just outside the castle wards then leads them up to the castle.

'Tag! You're it!" Christi giggles tapping Harry's shoulder then bolts across the stone bridge leading into the main courtyard that leads into the castle.

"Hey!" he yells and chases her laughing. Harry chases her into they both bump right into a Slytherin Prefect.

"Hey! Watch it, you little brats! What are you even doing here? You're not students here!" he growls at them scaring Christi as he towered over them.

"Leave us alone! We're sorry! We didn't see you there! We're being watched by her dad!" Harry said.

"Who is!"

"Me, Mister Higgs. Now get to class! They're just kids and were having fun." Severus comes up and growls at the Prefect. The student leaves and then Severus shuffles Christi and Harry off to his office so that he could prep for his next class which was in twenty minutes. Getting into his office, he goes into the cabinet where he keeps stuff to keep Christi entrained for days he had to have her with him. This was quite often since Vivian would just complain about having to watch her.

"Okay you two, stay in here and stay quiet. The fifth years are coming in here in ten minutes and they're going to be brewing a difficult potion and they need silence."

"Yes, Daddy." Christi agrees.

"Yes, Sev." Harry obliges. He had picked up on using the nickname Lily had given Severus. Severus nods and sweeps out of the office.

"Wanna sneak out? I know a way outta here." Christi suggests.

"You bet!" Harry smirks. Christi gets up and goes and pushes the entrance open to the secret passageway then she and Harry sneak out. Running in the hallway Christi and Harry laugh having fun chasing each other until Christi spots a seventh year in Ravenclaw named Jeremy walking through the hallway with his nose in a book.

"Jeremy!" Christi screams happily. He looks up and sees a bolt of baby blue come bolting toward him. Christi jumps on him hugging him. He was like her big brother as he has known her since she was five.

"Hey kiddo. What brings you to the school?"

"Evil step-mother." She says so innocently.

"Meaning you terrorized her until she made your dad take you."

"You guessed it…" She giggles.

"Chrissi." He sighs, "Quite juvenile of you, dear."

"I know. But she was going to drag me around to her stupid book club and County Club meeting. I would much rather be here where I can see you!"

Jeremy laughs and picks her up onto his back as he was the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and he could hold her up. She giggles and wraps her arms around his neck. "So who's your friend?"

"That's my best friend in the whole world Harry! He's like my brother too."

"Well hello Harry."

"Hi." He said as the bell rang.

"Well you two better get back to Severus's office Christi before your dad finds you two gone." he said, setting her down.

"Oh alright." Christi sighs. Heading back to the Potions room, Christi and Harry walk in and Severus looks up from his desk and goes over and grabs each of their shoulders. He brings them, protesting, into his office once again.

"I thought I told you two to stay in here." he chastises.

"We got bored. There was nothing to do." Christi states.

"Play with the board games I have out for you two." He said then went back into the classroom.

"Yeah. Right." Christi said. She and Harry laugh and escape once again after some better-thought-out planning. Christi and Harry both run out and across the grounds and finds Hagrid taking care of a few of the unicorns that Professor Kettleburn owned for teaching purposes of the fourth year students.

"Hi Hagrid!" the two children exclaim.

"Well 'ello there! What 'er you two doin' out 'ere?"

"My dad's taking care of us but we're so bored so we came out here to visit you!" Christi says hoping he would let them stay.

"Well you two sneaky lil' devils right you 'er."

The two kids laugh. "Can we help you out Hagrid?" Harry asks.

"Sure! Just pick a brush and start brushin' out the mane." He instructs the two. Once they finished brushing them down the brought them over to the teaching area sectioned off in the Forbidden Forest for teaching.

"Come on! Come get the carrot!" Christi said jogging ahead with a carrot in her hand having the unicorn follow her trying to get the carrot. She ogled at the unicorns, positively transfixed by them.

Getting to where they needed to go, Hagrid went and tied the unicorns up then lead the kids back to his hut. Once they get back, they see Severus standing there looking slightly upset. The kids hide behind Hagrid as the angry father approaches.

"I told you two to stay in my office…" he looked around before going on, "But as seeing as you're with Hagrid and doing something productive… I hope."

"Yes daddy! We were helping Hagrid with the unicorns for Professor Kettleburn. It was fun!" Christi said peaking around Hagrid to look at her father.

"Alright you can stay if it's alright with Hagrid." Severus said.

"'Course it is! I wouldn't mind having some help from these little munchkins." Hagrid chuckled.

"Very well. Well children, be back in the castle before dark so that we can go to dinner and get you two home."

They nod smiling. Severus goes back into the castle and leaves the two kids with Hagrid. They head into his hut and Hagrid makes them some tea.

"So how are you two?" he asks.

"We're good! I got into a fight with Draco Malfoy over Christmas and I hit him and broke his nose." Christi informed the teddy bear like half giant, smiling proudly.

"Now why'd you go and break his nose fer? And who taught you how ter fight?" Hagrid said, scrunching his eyebrows. Though he did have a fairly good guess of who taught her.

"He called me a prude and was bothering me all night so I hit him. First hit I broke his nose and sent him to the floor screaming. He's so overdramatic." Christi rolled his eyes, "He was acting as if he was dying over a little broken nose."

"Now who taught yer how?"

"Ivy taught me to fight. She told me it might come in handy one day and it did!"

"Oh Ivy and her bad ways. She gets that from Sirius you know." Christi just giggles and nods. "You, Harry, are much like yer father. You look just like him 'cept you got yer mothers eyes, that's fer sure!" Hagrid smiled, looking at the messy-haired child with beautiful green orbs hidden beneath glasses.

"Ivy doesn't act like either her dad or her mum!" Christi laughs. "She's more like Sirius! She looks like her mummy but acts like Sirius!"

"She sure does!" Harry agrees, "Sometimes that's not really a good thing either. We shouldn't' tell you this, but she hangs out with juvenile delinquents!"

"Ivy says they just do bad stuff for the greater good." Christi rolled her eyes, "Like she expects us to believe that."

Hagrid chuckled at the two children before him. They both, along with Ivy, had so much knowledge already. A few hours later, it began to get dark. "Alright you two it's awfully late. Let's head up to the castle."

They nod and head up to the castle with Hagrid. Getting up there they see Severus waiting up there for them and Christi takes off running and goes and runs over to her father and hugs him. "Hello daddy! How was your day?"

"Fine, come on you two let's head to the Great Hall for some dinner."

They nod and head to the Great Hall. Entering in there Christi spots Jeremy and runs over to him. "Jeremy!" she squeals and runs over to him hopping onto his back.

"Hey Tony, there's this strange weight on my back. What is it?"

"I think its a little elf!" Tony laughs playing along.

"I am no elf!" Christi exclaims, offended like any nine-year-old would be.

"Hey squirt. Good day?" Jeremy asked.

"Very. Can I eat with you?" she asks the Ravenclaw.

"Sure kiddo and why not your friend as well?"

"Okay!" she says then hops off of his back and runs over to Harry. "Come on! Jeremy said we can sit with him." Harry nods and the two run over the table and sit down.

Severus heads up the staff table while the students where in there were staring that he had just walked in with two children. Severus sneers at the students in there staring at him bewildered. After they all finish dinner Severus and kids head over to the Potter residence via Floo.

"Mummy!" Harry yells running into the parlor then leaping onto his mother. Lily laughs and hugs him tightly then she heads out into foyer.

"Thank you Severus, I appreciate it. I would have asked James to take him to the office with him again. However, after last time and the bolt of accidental magic last time, Scrimgeour doesn't want him there anymore."

"Understandable. They snuck off a few times but other than that they were good."

"That's good. No spouts of accidental magic?"

"Not that I'm aware of." Snape shook his head. He hoped they didn't cause Hagrid too much trouble. He'd have to ask the half-giant about it later.

She nods. "Thank you again."

"Not a problem. We should be going. Christi has a sleepover with Ivy."

"Sure, and we should keep a close eye on those two. We don't want a repeat of Christmas where she broke Draco's nose."

"Ugh, don't remind. They're still furious." Snape sighed, "Dear, that girl will cost me everything one day."

Lily giggles. "Well if you ask me, he did have it coming. From what I hear the boy is a pester to every girl that comes within his sight."

Severus chuckles and they go and walk down the street to the Lupin home. Getting the house they see Sirius' bike out front.

"Sirius is here!" she squeals.

"Oh Salazar." He mutters.

Christi giggles as they approach the front door and knocks. Opening the door Sirius smirks. "Snivellus."

"Idiot."

"Hi Sirius." Christi greeted him.

"Hey there kiddo, Ivy is upstairs getting changed from dance."

"She's just getting home?"

"Yeah, her trainer worked her long and hard today." Sirius sighed, knowing the little girl was in quite a bit of pain.

She nods as she says good bye to her father before he leaves once he leaves she skips upstairs and knocks. Ivy opens the door and lets Christi in. "Hi Ivy how was dance?"

"Long. My trainer worked me long and hard. My shoulders and legs hurt."

"That stinks. Can you mum or dad give you something for the pain?"

"Yea but before bed cause it makes me lethargic." Ivy said. Christi barely knew what the word meant, but nodded. They head downstairs and go and sit in the living room and turn on the Quidditch game on the radio.

"Christi you hungry sweetie?" Emmeline asked.

"No thank you, Mrs. Lupin. I already ate."

"Okay sweetie. If you get hungry just let me know. Ivy, I want you to have something. You haven't eaten all day."

"I'm not hungry." Ivy argued.

"Just a piece of toast." Emmeline bargained with her ten-year-old daughter. Ivy sighed and nodded.

"_And the Harpies get another ten points!"_ the announcer said.

"Boo!" Ivy yells.

"Ivy." Remus says sternly says.

"Sorry, daddy." She says, "But you know I'm all faith and loyalty to the Pride of Portree. Just like Mummy."

"Go Pride!" Emmeline yells from the kitchen. "Remus, you're Scottish, you should cheer for them too!"

"I'm quite fond of my home team, the Cannons." Remus smiles. Sirius come up the stairs and nodded.

"As rubbish a team as they are, Cannons will always be the best team in my heart."

"I think I'll start counting the losses the Cannons have against our Prides."

"Emme," Sirius starts as she comes back in the room, "You're French, shouldn't you go for the prissy, pansy Quafflepunchers?"

Indeed, with Emmeline, being French, Russian and Greek, it was a shock to see her go for a Scottish team. Maybe it had something to do with her growing up in a harbor town neighboring Portree on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Emmeline wrinkled her nose, "Well then I'd have to wear a shocking pink support t-shirt and I do say, I don't look good in pink."

Sirius chuckles. An hour later the Prides of Portree had won the game, making Emmeline and Ivy very happy.

"I wanna go to Quidditch game but daddy says no as they're too dangerous and to many people and that I could get lost easily." Christi says, sighing.

Emmeline overhears and sighs. She felt bad for Christi as she would never know her birth mother. Lily had gotten Severus to open up to her once again and he told her what happened to Christi's mother and Lily told Emmeline.

"Remus, maybe we could take Christi, Ivy and Travis to the game this weekend. I mean they will enjoy it and Christi just said she would like to go to a game. We could get Sirius, Lily, James and Harry to go as well. I mean with the five of us maybe Severus will allow her to go."

"Sure sounds good, though I doubt Severus will count Sirius in with the four adults, prejudiced he is." Remus said then headed into the living area where the girls and Travis were fighting over the radio.

"Stop! We want to listen to Sherlock Holmes!" they screech as he was trying to put on the Chudley Cannons Quidditch game against Puddlemere United.

"Travis, stop bothering the girls." Emmeline chastises him, "Your sister has had a very long, very hard day."

"Yes, the trainer." Remus said, "Emmeline, I think we should switch Ivy to someone who goes easier on her. Ivy's only ten. She doesn't need so much laborious work in dance yet."

"No, Remus, Ivy really likes her trainer."

"She nearly hit him when he let go of her arms during a shoulder exercise. On purpose."

"Alright, first lets talk to him and see if we can get him to go and lighten up on her and if not then we'll switch her."

"Okay." He said then all of the sudden they hear Travis screaming in pain crying.

"Ivy Lynn Lupin what did you do to your brother?" Emmeline demanded, ready to discipline.

"I only shoved him over… and he may have hit his head on the coffee table… But he was trying to change the radio channel and we're in the middle of Sherlock!" she whines.

"That doesn't give you the right to shove him!"

"He hit me first! He punched me in the shoulder! He knows it hurts but he still did it!"

"Emmeline, how did our children become so violent?" Remus asked, amused.

"Sirius has done it of course and now Ivy is rubbing off of on Christi."

"I'm not all to blame here," Sirius muttered from where he was falling asleep on their couch.

"Yes you are." Emmeline disagrees. Sirius didn't protest and thy soon heard him snoring again. Remus chuckles and shakes his head.

"Is this weekend still a good idea?"

"I think it is. They deserve it."

She nods and Remus looks at the three kids. "How would you three like to go to a Quidditch game this weekend?"

"Yes!" all three children yell then Christi sighs and gets upset. "My daddy won't let me. He said its too dangerous and too many people are there and I could get lost and get really hurt. He says I can't go cause it's not safe."

This information didn't seem to phase Emmeline in the slightest bit. "Well we're gonna take you anyway. You deserve to go and have fun at a game and see it live instead of listening to it over the radio all the time."

Christi smiles and nods vigorously.

"Alright you three, off to bed. It's late." Remus said.

After a bit of whining and protesting, the three children nod and head to bed.

XXX

Knocking on the door, Severus waits for someone to answer. A moment later, the door opens. Remus was there to greet him.

"Good morning Severus, come on it. The kids are still sleeping. Emme's going to wake them up in a few minutes but I wanna ask you something first. Lily, James, Emme, Sirius and I, Travis, Harry and Ivy are all going to the Chudley Cannons and Pride of Portree Quidditch game this weekend and we want to take Christi. Is that alright?" Remus asks.

"Sure, just keep an extreme close eye on Christ. She can slip off easily with her partner in crime with Harry. They did it a few times at the castle."

"You may have forgotten that Ivy is my daughter and I have to deal with _her_. Seeing as Christi is the Frankenstein that my Frankenstein created, I believe I can deal with her just fine."

Severus paused, and then said, "Did you just compare our daughters and yourself to a horror novel made in 1823 written by Mary Shelley?"

"The very same. You've read the story?"

"No, but I'm quite familiar with it." he nodded.

"Then you can't tell me the analogy isn't quite accurate." Remus chuckled. Severus did the same and Remus continued, "Ivy wants to read it, but Emmeline won't let her. Ivy seems quite taken with mythical things like that… And werewolves and vampires."

"Is she aware of your lycanthropy?"

Remus gave a tight smile and nodded. They heard the kids upstairs complaining about being woken up so early. This signals the conversation to a complete end. They come down rubbing their eyes and Christi smiles and runs over to her father and hugs him.

"Hi daddy!"

"Hey sweetie, guess what?"

"What?" she asks.

"You get to go to a Quidditch game this weekend."

Christi almost exploded with joy, "Yay! Thank you so much, Daddy!" she squeals hugging him. Severus chuckles and hugs her. All he wanted was for his little girl to be happy and this made her ecstatic.


	6. Chapter 6

"_I want you…_" Ivy sang quietly, packing her trunk for Hogwarts, "_I want you so bad… I want you."_ Ivy sang, drawing it out, "_I want you so bad, it's driving me mad… Oh, it's driving me mad…_"

It was a few months later, August now. It was the last week of August and Ivy would be going to Hogwarts then. She was very excited, but nervous as well. She didn't want to leave home, leave her parents and her brother and family. She didn't want to leave Harry and her aunt and uncle, and Christi. She especially didn't want to leave Sirius, but she knew that she really had no other choice.

Remus and Emmeline had let her get a Muggle radio in her room, since she seemed more interested in Muggle music than anything going on in the wizarding world, like there was anything. She used it for two purposes. She either listened to it on full blast to Muggle rock music or reggae music or pop or rap music. She would put the volume all the way up and her parents would have to tell her several times to turn it down.

Then she would put on classical music, and she'd dance to it. She was great at choreographing her own ballet routines. They were hear her feet padding on the wooden floor from downstairs. They were much happier when they used it for ballet, since it was less bothersome. But the radio still took up all her time, when Sirius wasn't doing that job.

They were all very sad she was going away. Christi especially was. She was, in fact, sitting on Ivy's bed as she packed, whining about being left alone.

"I can't believe you're going away, Ivy." she sighed, "I'll be all alone!"

"Well think of how much fun you'll have without me."

Christi scoffed, "Please. On the fun meter, that's way below zero."

Ivy smiled sympathetically, "I know. I'm a blast, aren't I?" Ivy's smile got wider, but when Christi didn't laugh, she sighed. "I'll owl. I'll owl a lot, and I'll send parcels in the mail for you. And I'll be home before you know it, during the Christmas holidays."

"By then you'll have made all new friends to replace me." Christi sighed melodramatically.

"Oh, please, Christi. You're exaggerating. I have a bunch of friends on the block here, yet you're still my best friend."

Christi rolled her eyes and said, "Well you'll be away from me for so long and you'll replace me!"

"Christi, quite being a drama queen."

Emmeline came in then with a basket of laundry, giving Christi no chance to respond. "Hello, girls."

"Hey, Mum." Ivy said.

"Hello, Emmeline." Christi smiled.

"Everything going alright?" Emmeline asked, beginning to set out Ivy's folded clothes. The girls nodded and Emmeline said, "Ivy, got all your school supplies? Robes, uniform, books, cloak, everything?"

Ivy nodded. "Yes, Mum."

"Where's your wand?"

Ivy patted a little pocket on the lid of her trunk, "Since I can't use magic yet, it's of no use to me for right now."

Emmeline chuckled, "Bored?"

"Immensely!" Christi exclaimed, "I'm just sitting here, watching her pack! Wallowing in my own despair!"

Emmeline chuckled, "I don't know where you got that overdramatic sensibility."

Ivy smirked at her friend, "Told you that you were being a drama queen." Christi stuck her tongue out at Ivy, and Ivy giggled. "Nice comeback."

"Now, now, girls. Don't quarrel."

"But it's out last chance to before I leave." Ivy smirked.

Emmeline rolled her eyes, "I say, you two could be sisters."

XXX

A week later, it was time for Ivy to leave. She had said goodbye to Christi that morning. Then she'd said goodbye to Harry, Lily and James, overheard Emmeline and Remus ask Severus to keep a very close eye on her at Hogwarts, and then they left. Oh, and then she had said a very tearful goodbye to Sirius, of course.

They arrived at the station, and Ivy began to make very tearful goodbyes to her family members. After Travis holding onto her legs and begging her not to go, her mother clinging to her in a hug and muttering about her baby growing up, and Remus prying both of them off her body, she climbed anxiously onto the train.

"Hey, Ivy!" she heard immediately. She turned and smiled at her friend Cormac McLaggen. He was sitting in the same compartment as Roger Davies and Kenneth Towler, who had gone to Hogwarts the year before, before all of them. Eddie Carmichael and Zacharias Smith were also in the compartment.

"Hi, Cormac. Hey, boys." Ivy greeted them, "How's it going?"

Roger smirked, "Just saying 'hi' to you firsties here."

Ivy scoffed, "I suppose now that you and Ken are second years and we're younger, you don't have time for us."

"Of course we do, darling!" he smiled and placed an arm around her shoulder, "It's just-wait! There's my friends! Got to go, firsties." he said, starting out the door to join a group of Ravenclaw boys. Kenneth left soon too, joining a few of his Gryffindor friends. So then the four of them sat there, talking until they left one by one. Finally only Cormac and Ivy were left, and a few people knocked on the compartment door.

There was a few girls standing there, looking flustered and scared. They were obviously fellow first years since they looked the same as every other first year they had seen.

"Can we sit here? We just got kicked out of ours by older kids." one of them said. She was Asian, with long, sleek black hair and light skin. The one next to her had curly, bushy reddish-blonde hair and freckles, and she looked slightly timid. The one on the right had light blonde hair and looked like a good girl. She looked more confident than the other two.

Ivy shrugged at them, "Sure, take a seat. I'm Ivy Lupin."

"I'm Katie Bell." the blonde said.

"Marietta Edgecombe." said the curly haired girl.

"And I'm Cho Chang." said the Asian one. They sat down on the seats. Marietta and Cho sat across from Ivy, on either side of Cormac and Katie sat beside Ivy.

"That's Cormac." Ivy pointed to her frozen friend.

"This place has too many girls!" he exclaimed, and hightailed it out of the compartment. The other girls giggled while Ivy full on cackled after him.

"I've known him forever." Ivy said, "Since I was _born_."

"No way." Cho said.

"Yes! He lives on my street."

"That's so cool, knowing people before you go into school. So lucky." Katie said, "The only person I know is Cedric Diggory because he lives next door. But he's years ahead of us."

"Where'd you three meet?" Ivy asked.

"I met Katie in the station." Marietta said, "Then we met Cho in a compartment. We asked if we could sit with her, then we got kicked out by older students. I think they're fourth years, but I'm not sure."

Ivy looked skeptically at Cho, then said, "Cho Chang, do you know Judo? Or Karate? Or something like that?"

"My father taught me Tai Kwan Doe when I was little. That's it though."

"I bet you could have kicked their arses, if you really applied yourself. I, myself, am a street fighter."

"You street fight?" she asked.

"Well, I get into simple scraps with people on my street. I've fought Cormac more than once."

"Did you win?" Katie asked.

"Only twice. The other three times he won. I'm modest, you see… Well, honest. I tell the truth about the fights I'm in. He would tell you we've fought so much and he won them all." Ivy rolled her eyes, "But he's a big liar. Don't believe anything he says. Ever."

They grinned, "Okay."

They stayed together throughout the train ride, and rode a boat together. They learned what the sorting ceremony was going to be like, and it was nerve-wracking. They all hoped they would be sorted into the same House, but no such luck fell on them.

Katie was first, and she got sorted into Gryffindor. While Cho hoped she would also get into Gryffindor, she got into Ravenclaw instead, and Eddie Carmichael, Ivy's friend, got sorted into Ravenclaw too, saddening Ivy a bit, knowing she wouldn't be with all her friends, new and old. Marietta went along to Ravenclaw with Cho, and then it was Ivy's turn.

She waited patiently for the hat to sort her, and after only ten seconds, the hat yelled out "GRYFFINDOR!" loudly. It nearly deafened her, but she made it to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Katie. They were happy to be in the same House, sad that their other friends weren't with them. Cormac came after Ivy and was sorted in Gryffindor, and Zacharias was the last person Ivy knew to be sorted, and he got Hufflepuff.

"Well, at least I have you guys." Ivy smiled, putting an arm around Katie on her left and then an arm around Cormac on her right. She sent a small smile to Cho and Marietta at the Ravenclaw table, who grinned widely back.

"We met another girl, Leanne." Katie said, "She's in Hufflepuff though. And she didn't come with us to your compartment, she went to her sisters instead."

"Oh." Ivy said, and was about to say something else when two redheads plopped down across from them.

"Fred and George Weasley." they said in unison, sticking out their hands to them. Katie shook them both hesitantly, but Ivy went right for them confidently.

"I'm Ivy Lupin. This is Katie Bell. Are you two second years? You weren't in the ceremony."

"Yeah," one of them said, though Ivy wasn't sure which one.

"We're second years. Over there are our friends. The black one is Lee Jordan, then the girl next to him is Alicia Spinnet and across is Angelina Johnson."

"It's nice to meet you." Ivy smiled.

"First years, are you? Well usually we would be rather mean to first years-"

"Hazing and all." the other interrupted his twin.

"-But you two look worthy of us. You two look interesting and tough."

"I'm tough." Ivy said, "Just last week I got into a fist fight with this fool here." she said, nudging Cormac. Cormac was too busy talking to fellow first years to notice.

"Fighter, are you? Willing to take on Fred here?" one asked, pointing to his brother.

"Of course. I never back down from a fight."

Fred frowned, "Well I'm much against violence… Well, violence that's directed toward me, that is."

"Fred's a chicken." George smirked, knowing it would get a raise out of his brother. Indeed it did.

"I'm no chicken! She's a girl though, and it would be quite monstrous of me to fight a girl."

"I think you're just afraid I'd beat you." Ivy said, "Because I could. I swear I would pound your face into the ground. You'd be so hurt, you would cry."

Fred smiled, "Are you trying to make enemies when you've been here not two hours?"

She shrugged and George said, "Well, we aren't enemies. We're friends."

Ivy smiled widely at them, showing her crooked teeth, having refused to even consider braces in the least bit months before. She had just made some new friends.

XXX

Over the next few months, Ivy had made good friends with Fred and George. She was great friends with Katie. The other three girls she shared a dorm with were less friendly.

There was a black girl named Arianna, and she was a smidge less than friendly with anyone at all. There was a small brunette named Virginia. She was timid and shy and practically a loner. And then there was a fiery redhead who didn't associate much with anyone in Gryffindor, but befriended several Hufflepuff girls instead. It was likely she just did so to push them around and be a queen bee of their group, just to feel superior.

Katie and Ivy were close friends, but hadn't made friends with anyone else in their year. They talked a bit with Cho and Marietta still, but it was hard to keep close with them. They had mostly were friends with Fred, George and Lee, and the girl that hung around with them-Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson.

It was good for them to have older friends, so they didn't get pushed around much. The five second years didn't mind hanging around with them either. There was no found annoyance in either of the younger girls.

Ivy had mostly bonded with Fred and George, pranking with them whenever she could and becoming good friends with them. She played joked on other students and teachers with them, even sometimes being the mastermind behind a plan or two. Luckily they had never gotten caught with her with them, so her parents didn't know of this. They called her their good luck charm and often included her in pranks.

Over winter break, Ivy had mentioned making new friends to her parents and Sirius and Christi, but hadn't mentioned all the trouble she was doing. She knew her mother and possibly her father would chew out Sirius for it, even though it wasn't his fault.

When she went back to Hogwarts, things were normal and nothing changed throughout the entire year. It was a happy first year for Ivy. If only it was that happy the next year, for all of them.


	7. Chapter 7

The summer has finally come, and that means Ivy was home for the holidays. Christi and Harry were chatting animatedly about going to Hogwarts that coming September and were both highly excited about it. At the moment, the three kids were sitting on the front yard of the Potter home, eating on a picnic blanket.

"So Harry what do you want for your birthday coming up?" Ivy asks him.

"Dunno." He says shrugging.

"So do you want me to get you nothing, then?"

"No! Of course not!"

Christi giggles and rolls her eyes.

"So Christi, how's dear old mum?" Ivy teases.

"Driving me bloody mad! Every little thing that I did she didn't like she wrote to my dad and I got a fire call and I got yelled at one time I got a howler. He wasn't too happy then but then I really had done something."

"What did you do?" Ivy asks.

"She put a potion in her food and turned her bright pink." Harry laughs remembering seeing Vivian when she brought Christi over before she went to St. Mungo's to get it reversed.

"Christina, have I taught you nothing? You're supposed to make it so that she can't tell it's been done, but everyone else can." Ivy hissed.

"I know! I thought I added it but apparently not. So I got busted easily. But hey it was funny. I got photos on both my wizarding and Muggle camera!" Christi grins.

"Yeah, you are defiantly Slytherin material!" Harry laughs.

"Ha! My dad says otherwise! He says I'm either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor material."

"Why those two?" Ivy asks.

"Well according to my dad, I'm a little brain. I like reading and I'm really advanced in Potions because of him. I'm at least up to the second year curriculum for it, but I'm also highly loyal and act before I think which gets me into trouble a lot… like when I hit Draco in the face at that Christmas party when I was nine, which, by the way, he still flinches around me when he starts pissing me off."

Ivy laughs and shakes her head. "Well Slytherin's are cunning, sly determined and powerful. Ravenclaw's are, like, really smart, and creative, and are wise. Hufflepuff's are all about hard work, patience, loyalty, fair play, and dedication and according to my friend, Cedric Diggory, they are particularly good finders and finally… the almighty Gryffindor's are really brave and courageous, and daring."

"How many people are in each House?" Harry asked.

"Is there anyone we know?" Christi interjected.

"Probably not. Most of my friends are in Gryffindor, but a few I met before or on the train are in Ravenclaw… And a few of my old neighborhood friends are in Hufflepuff, but I don't know anyone in Slytherin. They're like, bad people."

"Wow. I wanna be in Gryffindor!" Harry says.

"I don't care where I end up just as long as we're still friends and hang out together." Christi says.

"Which house do you want more?" Ivy asks.

"I guess Gryffindor."

"Well don't count on having the friends you meet on the train be in your own House." Ivy warned, "Two of mine are in Ravenclaw, and most of the friends I met on my street are in different Houses."

"Yeah, that's understandable." Harry said.

The trio continued to chat with each other until an owl came swooping over them and dropped a letter in Christi's lap. Christi's snowy owl Yuki perches herself on Christi shoulder then nips at her ear. "I don't have treats you spoiled owl." Christi says as she flipped the letter over and saw the Hogwarts emblem and the wax seal.

"Merlin!" she screeches happily, "Oh my goodness! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

"Christi, be cool. What's going on?" Ivy asks.

"My letter came!" Christi exclaims as all the adults come running out to see why she was screaming.

"What's all the screaming about?" Severus asks.

"My letter came!" she says happily.

"Well open it!" Sirius says.

Christi smiles and rips it open promptly and reads it. "I got in! Yay!" she squeals.

"Congratulations sweetie." Lily says.

"Thanks." She smiles.

"Now just because you're going there doesn't mean any special treatment young lady." Severus informs his daughter, well aware that she had gotten in ahead of time from Albus and Minerva as soon as they were checking the book and getting ready to send out letters.

"Yeah, I know. But hey at least I'm ahead in Potions."

"But you're taking first year potions."

"But daddy! I've already gotten far ahead of them! It's not fair!" she whines.

"Enough Christina Novalee."

She pouts as Yuki bites her. "Ouch, you annoying owl." She said rubbing her ear. Before anything else could be said a barn owl comes gliding down from high in the clouds and drops a letter in Harry's lap then flaps off.

"Looks like I got mine as well!" he said then opens it. "I need to go and get my school supplies soon."

"Good for you sport!" James said ruffling his sons hair.

"Dad!" he complains pulling away.

"Why complain, Harry? It's messy enough anyway." Ivy giggles. Emmeline gave her a disdainful look, which Ivy only ignored.

"Alright so we can head to Diagon Alley this weekend to beat the rush of students new and returning. It seems to me that everyone waits until the last minute to go shopping to get everything." Remus says.

"That sounds good." Severus says.

XXX

It was that weekend and they all had gone to Diagon Alley. Their first stop was Olivander's wand shop in Diagon Alley. Christi and Harry both run inside, highly excited to be getting their first wands.

"Hello?" Harry called out, as they found it empty.

All of the sudden a man with grayish white hair rolls over on a ladder and looks at the two children. "Well. I was wondering when I would be seeing you here Mister Potter. I remember when your parents were in here buying their first wands." Harry smiles ducks his head a bit. "Well ladies first." He said motioning to Christi.

She smiles and nods. Christi eventually finds her wand then Harry goes and after a few failed tries, like Christi he eventually found his wand as well. After paying for their wands, the duo head out into the Alley where James and Lily were waiting as they had brought the two to Diagon Alley.

"You two get your wands?" Lily asks.

"Yup!" they exclaim holding them up smiling proudly.

"Good. Now off to the bookshop, then the apothecary, robe shop, and cauldron shop along with the equipment and owl emporium for you Harry." James said.

The children nod and go where directed. "They're growing up fast." Noted Lily.

"They really are." They watch as Ivy goes off to hang out with two redheaded boys. She had already gotten all of her books that she needed, and James and Lily had given her permission to be with her friends for a while.

Christi and Harry look at each other and start laughing. "Tease her senselessly later?" Christi asks.

"Oh yeah." Harry smirks.

After a few hours of shopping they head back to the Lupin household and Harry and Christi immediately start teasing Ivy. "Hey Ivy who were those guys you were with?" Christi asks.

"The Weasley twins. Fred and George." Ivy answers simply.

"Ivy and the Weasley twins sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love! Then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage!" Christi says in a singsong tone, giggling.

Ivy rolls her eyes, "How juvenile." Christi continues to sing as Ivy does summer homework. Finally, Ivy groans and nearly yells, "Christi, if you continue to sing, I'll have no choice but to kick your scrawny little arse!"

"Aw you're no fun! I'm just teasing." Christi pouts as she goes and grabs her History of Magic book and starts reading it. James and Remus look at each other and smirk.

"She's much like her father in ways." Remus notes watching the eleven year old with her nose stuck in a book.

"Do you think she'll be more of her own person or turn out like her father?" ponders James.

"She seems to be more of her own person. She does have qualities of her father but I think she's more like her unknown mother." Replies Remus as Christi and Harry go out back to help Emmeline out with the gardening.

"She and Ivy are also alike. They both get into fights when they get really agitated and when someone aggravates them extremely."

"Tell me about it." Remus laughs.

"They both like teasing Harry every once in a while." James chuckles remembering the time they tried to dress Harry up in a dress.

"Oh yes!" Remus laughs as Severus and Vivian step through the fireplace.

"Christi! Your father is here to pick you up!" James calls out back.

"Coming!" she yells back.

She comes scampering in, laughing and giggling. She was covered in mud as she and Harry had gotten into a mud fight.

Sirius gets there and walks inside and sees Christi covered in mud. "Way to go kiddo!" he laughs.

"Thanks Sirius!" she beams happily.

"Alright Sirius we have a problem. Ivy and boys." Remus said, pulling his daughter's overprotective godfather aside.

"Oh boy." He groans.

"Yup. Apparently she was hanging out with two of them today."

"We gotta give her the talk."

"She's twelve!"

"Then the PG version." he suggests.

"I guess. Ivy!" Remus called.

She comes running down and looks at her friend covered in mud. "Why are you covered in mud?"

"Yes why are you Christina Novalee?" Vivian asks fuming.

"Harry and I got into a mud fight! It was fun! I got him right on the back of the head too!" she giggles.

Ivy rolls her eyes then looks at her father. "Yes daddy?"

"We need to have a little talk about you and those boys you were with today."

"Ahh daddy! It's no big deal! They're just friends!" she whines.

"Remus," Emmeline chastises, coming from the backyard, "It's no big deal."

"Emmeline, it is a big deal." Remus said, beginning to talk with them quietly. Sirius nodded and Remus continued, "She's my little girl!"

"Not so little anymore." Emmeline smiled at her growing daughter.

"Another thing… Where did she get her… Well… Figure?"

"My mother, I suspect. The curves skip a generation. But she's a growing girl, it's to be expected for her to fill out a bit."

"Are any of the other girls 'filling out'," he showed quotation marks with his fingers, "As much as our daughter?"

"Well I'm not sure." Emmeline shrugged, "Remus, quit worrying. She's twelve."

"But she's got the body of your mother, and boys will be all over her. That's what I'm worried about!"

Emmeline thought for a moment, and then nodded, "Do as you please."

"Ivy, listen."

"DADDY! They're just friends! The twins are like hilarious brothers to me! We're always cracking jokes and pulling harmless innocent pranks! It's nothing!" she pouts.

"Ivy Lynn, just listen."

"Fine." She scowls.

"Listen, you're getting older now which means your body is changing and boys will start to notice that and umm well….." he trials off not really sure on how to keep it PG.

"That what, Dad?" she asked, knowing very well what he was going to say, and a blush was already starting to creep up her neck, "That I've got breasts?"

Sirius and Remus both sort of choked on her blatant interjection, but Remus nodded slightly and continued. "And well the boys will want to do umm…..things with you. That you won't feel comfortable with and if they do run and get a teacher right away and tell them."

"Okay daddy. But the twins would protect me anyway."

"I know sweetie but even the twins are included in the boys who would want to try and do something." He said.

"No, no they aren't. That's be like... That would be like Travis trying to do something to me." she shuddered, "Ew..."

"Alright, sweetie just promise me you're going to be careful."


	8. Chapter 8

"Bye Mum!" Harry was shouting out the window still, "Bye Dad!"

Ivy and Christi were simply waving out the window at their parents and family. It was September first, the day that they boarded the train and went to Hogwarts, Ivy for the second time, and Harry and Christi for the first time. While both had been to Hogwarts before, they hadn't ever gone on the train there.

Each child had piled into the Lupins's big car that morning, along with their parents, Travis and also Sirius, and then drove to King's Cross Station. Ivy had taught them about running through the barrier, and no one had gotten hurt while crossing through.

Christi and Harry were quite surprised to see the big, long scarlet train gleaming before them when they had gotten through the barrier. Obviously, they had expected something quite a bit less magnificent. They had probably been anticipating something like an old, dusty brown freight train, not a big, shined up, sparkling red one.

Ivy had searched all over the place for one of her friends, someone she knew, but then it was time to say goodbyes, so she was stuck sitting with Christi and Harry until she saw one of her friends pass by. So they found an empty compartment in the front of the train, much to Ivy's chagrin. She didn't like to be in the front of the train. She was told it was where only first years sat, which was true. She had sat there last year, along with many other first years. This year, she saw a bunch of scared looking new student sitting in the front compartments-first years, no doubt.

The train began to move with a jolt, and they all continued to wave until they had turned the corner and all of the parents were out of sight. It was then that Ivy sat down and propped her legs up on the seat in front of her. She began to flex and point her toes in some sort of rhythm, and hum quietly to a tune that they knew she danced to.

They had noticed her doing this a lot lately, along with stretching discreetly whether she was sitting or standing, and if she was standing she would move her feet into each position, first then second, then third then fourth, then fifth then back to first.

"So what happens when we get there?" Harry asked. Even though Christi knew a lot about Hogwarts, she did not know everything. She didn't know about the little details of the experiences one has there. She didn't know all about everything in Hogwarts.

"You'll go with Hagrid and the other first years and you'll ride across the Lake in boats, and then you'll go to get sorted." Ivy explained.

"That seems…" Christi started, but Ivy cut her off.

"It was nerve wracking for me. I was afraid of which House I would get put in. Then I got into Gryffindor with Katie and Cormac and everything was fine again. Speaking of my friends… There they are now. I've got to go." Ivy leapt up gracefully, "Good luck, if I don't see you!"

She exited the compartment to join the two redheads from Diagon Alley, a black boy and a blonde girl.

Harry and Christi were then left alone to worry about many things, from which House they'd be in to how hard learning all the lessons would be.

XXX

Ivy watched all the first years come up one by one, and then they got to the P's. There wasn't as loud of a gasp when McGonagall called out Harry's name as Ivy thought there would be. There weren't as many whispers about the Boy Who Lived as she expected. She was temped to yell out about him defying Lord Voldemort, but she decided not to. She was sure he wouldn't like that.

She cheered the loudest when he got sorted into Gryffindor, and he took a seat right next to her. She gave him a congratulatory hug and ruffle of the hair, and that made him blush.

"Good job, Harry!" she told him.

There was an even bigger fuss about when Christi's name got called. It was mostly the Snape part that people were whispering about. Who would have guessed that the evil, morbid Professor Snape would have a daughter?

She got sorted into Gryffindor after what she tells them was a rather heated conversation between her head and the Sorting Hat, in which she mildly threatened him with scissors if he didn't put her in Gryffindor with Harry and Ivy. He was not fazed by these words, but decided it was brave and courageous enough to threaten a powerful hat because she wanted to be loyal to her friends and be with them.

Ivy introduced them briefly to her own friends, but they soon joined two friends they had met on the train-Ron Weasley (Fred and George's little brother) and Hermione Granger, a witty Muggleborn witch. Ivy had, at first, thought it had been a mistake and she was supposed to be in Ravenclaw. She wouldn't be proven wrong until a bit later in the year.

XXX

The first month passed by somewhat uneventfully. Near the end, the first year students got their first flying lesson. It came so easy to Harry, Christi was surprised. It wasn't that hard for her, but at first it was a bit challenging. But to Harry, it came right away. Christi supposed it was because of his father. After all, James _was _the best Seeker of their time, and was always boasting about it. He taught Harry how to fly, so it was no wonder Harry had no problem with the broom.

Christi wasn't bad either after a couple tries. She got her broom to come to her hand after about seven tries. That was sooner than some of the other kids. She didn't have that hard of a time hovering and everything either. She didn't get much of a chance to fly because then Neville broke his wrist. But once Madame Hooch came back, she found out she wasn't too bad at flying.

Harry was a pro though. They all though he was going to get into trouble for flying, because of when McGonagall came to get him. But then they found out that she wanted him to be Gryffindor Seeker! That was very exciting, and everyone was so jealous.

Christi decided that she wanted to be on the Quidditch team, too, but she would have to wait until the next year, at least. No first year ever got on the team-of course, Harry was the exception. He was the luckiest student at Hogwarts.


	9. Chapter 9

As they wandered the halls, Christi, Ron, Hermione and Harry plan to head up to the third floor to recover the Stone.

Many things had happened over that year. Firstly, Harry had found out more about Voldemort. They had all befriended Hagrid, who accidentally let slip that he had taken the Sorcerer's Stone from a vault in Gringotts under Dumbledore's orders. This rose questions. They began to do research on Nicholas Flamel.

And then a troll got loose. It used to be in the dungeon, but on Halloween, Quirrell ran out, screaming that the troll got loose. It was running about, and Hermione was in the bathrooms, upset because of something insensitive Ron had said. Harry, Christi and Ron went to save her from it. They knocked it out good, and lost many points for Gryffindor, but ended up being closer friends, sharing a strange bond that only those who have fought a troll together can share.

Also, Harry was put in much danger. In his first Quidditch game, someone hexed his broom. They thought it to be Snape because it looked like him (and Christi ignored her father for two weeks afterwards). Hermione, however, set fire to his robes and Harry turned out okay, and won the Quidditch game!

The four of them had found out that Nicolas Flamel had created the Sorcerer's Stone. They learned it turned pure metals into gold, and produced the Elixir of Life, which can make you immortal. They learned the Stone is being guarded on the third floor in Hogwarts, in which they accidentally ran into Fluffy, the giant three headed dog.

They had caught a cloaked figure drinking blood from a unicorn one night at detention in the Forbidden Forest. The cloaked figure, they later found out, was Voldemort. Voldemort, they assumed, wishes to be immortal.

But now they planned on getting the Stone before Voldemort could get to it. So they set off that night under the Invisibility Cloak. They were stopped by Neville, who tried to persuade them not to go. Hermione got past him by putting a Full Body Bind on him. They had to be quick and quite about it to get around Filch.

Arriving on the third floor, they quickly sneak into the room with the giant three headed dog. They pull the Cloak off of themselves and look at the beast before them.

"The thing is asleep!" acknowledges Christi.

"Even I could have figured that one out... And you're supposed to be the smart one." Ron says.

She just sticks her tongue out at him then frowns.

"You hear that?" Hermione asks.

"Yeah. It sounds like music. It sounds like a harp." Harry said. Sure enough, over to the side is a big harp, enchanted to play a tune to put the dog to sleep.

"Let's go while the thing is still sleeping." Hermione suggests. They nod and shove its massive paw out of the way. They get the door open and then the start climbing down, with the girls going first.

And then, silence.

They all froze and stayed deathly quiet. And then, something disgusting and slimy drips onto Ron's shoulder. He was the first to break the silence, bringing one hand up to wipe the drool off of himself. "Yuck!"

Christi looks up and her eyes widen.

"Do. Not. Drop. Me." she says slowly, seeing the dog was awake. Ron and Harry look up and they see the dog standing above them, glowering.

"AHHH!" they yell and drop her, making her yelp. They all jumped in through the trapdoor, which was too small for the dog to go through, so it was stuck there growling at them through it and pawing at it.

They then realize they are stuck. Vines twirled around them and tightened as they all began to struggle. They each tried to get out of the vines and leaves wrapping around them, trying desperately to avoid the Devil's Snare. Hermione, however, was perfectly. Calm.

"Relax! It won't kill you if you relax!" Hermione insisted. She stayed still, letting the vines engulf her until she slips right through the Devil's Snare. Christi and Harry follow suit in relaxing and going through.

"Help! Help me, guys! Ahh!" Ron cries out.

"Relax!" Christi, Harry and Hermione all yell at him.

"I can't!" he yells, "It'll kill me!"

They panic slightly, but start thinking about on how to get Ron free. Suddenly, something comes to Christi and she begins to recite from her memory, "Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare, it is deadly fun, but will sulk in the sun!"

"That's it!" Hermione nods.

"Devil's Snare hates sunlight!" Christi exclaimed.

Hermione sends a bright jet of bluebell flames at it to free Ron and a moment later he drops through. They all move forward and they find a room filled with flying key's and a broom.

"Lets go." Harry said.

"Yeah, I see a door on the other side of the room." Christi says. The small group heads forward and they can't get through the door.

"It's locked." Ron said seeing a fairly large old style looking lock that wouldn't open with the 'Alohomora' charm.

"Seems like I'm not the only one making obvious statements today." Christi muttered, "We need to find the key that goes to the lock." Christi says.

"It's got to be one of these ones." Hermione said, "Do any stand out?"

"Hey look at that old key. The one with the broken wing." Harry said.

"Yeah, there it is." Christi says, pointing at a little keey hobbling along with the rest of the flitting keys.

"I'll go get it." Harry said, heading to a broom in the middle of the room. He mounts it quickly.

"Be careful Harry." She said. He nods then he kicks off and starts to go after the key until all the others start to attack him. "Harry please be careful." Christi says to herself.

A few minutes later he has the key in hand and he lands by the door. The others run over just as he gets the door open. All four of them shove the door shut then they continue on into the next room where many bright torches light up.

Before them is a checkered floor, and many pieces in the shape of chess pieces, with two kings, two queens, and numerous pawns, rooks, nights and bishops.

"Bloody hell! Wizard's Chess." Christi groans.

"Let's move forward." Harry said.

They try to go, but the pawns pull their swords out and stop them from moving forward.

"I think we have to play the game." Hermione said.

"We have to be human chess pieces. Harry, you go there," Ron said, pointing to a free spot. He pointed to another for Hermione, "Hermione, there, and Christi, over there."

Throughout the game, Ron dictated the Chess pieces where to go. Harry, Hermione and Christi didn't move at all, for then they couldn't get hurt. In the end, Ron had to sacrifice himself. Before he did so, everyone objected, first Harry.

"No, Ron, no you can't!" Harry said.

"What's he going to do?" Hermione asked.

"He's going to sacrifice himself!" Harry exclaimed. Christi and Hermione both started at this.

"No, Ron, no!" they both exclaimed.

"I have to!" Ron shouted, "Then you all can go on!"

They all watched in fear as he moved him piece. They observed as the other piece drew his sword and violently stabbed Ron's horse with it, shattering the marble. Ron fell, and just as Hermione and Christi were about to go to him, Harry stopped them.

"Don't! We're still playing!" Harry warned. They stayed in place, and watched as Harry walked over to the king. He looked up at it and said, "Check mate."

In a terrible form of defeat, the king dropped his sword. They all rushed forward to Ron, and Hermione took his hand.

"Will you be okay Ron?" Christi asks.

"Yeah, you three go ahead." he said weakly.

"Wait here, Ron." Christi insisted.

"I don't see how I'd move, but okay." Ron smiled at her.

They keep going and they move onto the next section and they find the troll that had attacked Hermione during Halloween. They find it knocked out already.

"Someone's been here before us." Harry said dangerously.

"A troll is probably the easiest thing I could think of." Christi rolled her eyes and moved on to the next room, "It only takes one good spell to the head."

In the next room and find a line of seven potion bottles and a piece of parchment with a riddle written on it.

"Go ahead Christi, this is your forte." Harry said, gesturing to the many potions lined before them.

She picks it up and recites it aloud, "Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind you, two of us will help you, whichever you would find, one among us seven will let you move ahead, another will transport the drinker back instead, two among our number hold only nettle wine, three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore, to help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

"First, however slyly the poison tries to hide you will always find some nettle wine's left side; Second, different are those two who stand at either end, but if you would move onwards, neither is your friend; This, as you see clearly, all are different size, neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; Fourth, the second left and the second on the right are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."

"Okay so we need to figure out the two correct potions from the riddle." Hermione said.

"Yeah, stay quiet. This is my dad's doing and I know well enough to take it by each line slowly."

She looks at the row of seven bottles, one small, clear and round, the second was red, medium sized and kind of funny shaped, the third one is small, square and blue, the fourth one tall, golden and a roundish shape at the bottom, the fifth is small, green and triangular, the sixth one tall, black and rectangular and the last small, purple and round.

After about fifteen minutes she grabs the blue and purple ones. "These ones. This will let you go on, Harry," she hands him the blue one.

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent." She said. Harry nods and drinks them and is able to move forward. "Go Hermione and I will go and take care of Ron. Go!" Christi said. Harry nods and hugs each girl but lingers on Christi just a bit longer then they head off in their separate ways.

A couple of hours later Harry groans and wakes up on the Hospital Wing and both Ivy and Christi jump up and hug him.

"Oh we were so worried about you Harry! Don't you ever scared us like that ever again!" the two frightened girls exclaim.

Ivy was the first to yell at him, "Harry, what the bloody hell did you think you were doing? Do you know how much danger you put yourself in? You could have died, Harry, then what would any of us have done! You've got to stop going and looking around for ways to get yourself killed, Harry! I swear, one day you'll accomplish this sordid mission you have in your head to-"

Ivy was interrupted by Harry's mother, who was there with James. Lily smiled at Ivy and said, "Thanks, Ivy, but I can take it from here." she turned to Harry, "Harry James Potter, what the bloody hell did you think you were doing? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

James added, "Is that what you want? To send your mother crying?"

"No, but the Stone was in danger and no one would listen so I had to something!" Harry defends.

"And you roped Christina, Hermione and Ron into helping you?" scolds James.

Severus looks over at his daughter furious at this news. "You helped? You went and helped Christina Novalee Snape!" he hisses his voice laced with venom.

She winces at his tone. She was in deep trouble. "Yeah." She said with her best 'I'm oh, so innocent' look. "I only went with him because I didn't want him to go unsupervised and get hurt so I went with him only for that reason… and by the way the stupid riddle was bloody hard but I eventually figured it out."

"I'm surprised you figured the riddle out, actually. Also, if you were just wanting to 'monitor' him, that's fine, whoever, you're still grounded for the first month of summer break."

She sighs and nods, knowing that she was going to be at Vivian's mercy. She had no idea on what her father ever saw in the woman but as long as he was happy, that was all that really matted to her. She just wanted her dad to be happy for once and she would just grin and bear it until she left Hogwarts.

Okay, so the grinning and bearing thing wasn't really working, considering the amount of times she got in trouble for being rude to Vivian…


	10. Chapter 10

It was the hottest day of summer in Godric's Hollow, and boy was Ivy glad she had convinced her parents to put in a pool last year.

It was two years later now. Christi and Harry were in their third year, Ivy in her fourth and Travis, having started school that past year, was going into his second year, along with his good friend Ginny Weasley.

"Boy, isn't this great?" the thirteen year old Harry said peacefully, "No parents around, no Sirius, no adults."

Ivy then saw Harry's point. Her parents had taken Christi's and Harry's parents, and Sirius and his new girlfriend, on a vacation to the Bahamas. It was only a couple of days, and they had given Ivy most of the authority but still had a neighbor check in periodically. Christi and Harry were both staying in the Lupin household so that Ivy could watch them. Christi was staying in Ivy's room with her while Harry was staying in Travis's room with him.

Ivy then thought it was a great time to-"I'll be right back!" she said hastily, running into the house in just her bathing suit.

"Ivy, where are you going?" Travis, who was sitting in a lawn chair next to her, called, "Ivy! Iv-"

Ivy came back out just as quickly. She held in her hands a small rectangular box and a smaller rectangle, which Harry and Christi recognized to be a matchbook.

"What are those?" Christi asked. Ivy didn't answer, but sat on her lawn chair and opened the box. Christi and Harry watched with worried interest as she pulled out a long, white stick and put it in her mouth. She looked down and pulled a matchstick out of its box, and swiftly lit the match. She held it to the end of the stick in her mouth, and once the end was lit, she shook her hand to put the match out.

"You're smoking a cigarette!" Harry exclaimed.

Ivy quickly took the cigarette out of her mouth and blew out a puff of smoke. "Shut up, Harry! I don't want the neighbors hearing!" she hissed, smoke still coming out of her mouth with each word. Then she looked at Travis, glaring, "And don't you dare tell mum and dad."

"I won't." Travis said, "I'll just start smoking when I'm your age. After all, you're supposed to be my role model."

Ivy laughed. They joked about that a lot-how she was supposed to be a good example but… Frankly, she never was.

"Ivy," Christi started, whose eyes were wide with some emotion-terror, shock, fear. "Ivy, cigarettes are bad for you! You could die!"

"Umm, I'm a witch, Christi. If I get cancer or lung disease or emphysema or something, then the Healers at St. Mungo's can fix it quick with magic."

"The good Healers anyways…" Travis muttered.

"I heard they found a way to detect brain cancer in its very first stage." Harry said.

"That's old news." Ivy contradicted him.

"Cigarettes will kill you!" Christi interrupted their chatting.

"We all die eventually." Ivy said, rolling her eyes. She coughed as she took another drag, and didn't stop for several seconds.

Once she did, Christi kept going, "But you'll die sooner than the rest of us! Like… at fifty years old! Do you want that?"

"Ivy's never gonna die. She can't, she's my sister." Travis said, but was ignored.

"Well I sure didn't expect to live past one hundred and seventy-two like Dumbledore."

Harry chuckled and Christi shot him a glare, "I can't believe you're supporting this, Harry James Potter!" Christi whispered harshly.

"Well she has a point." he said, "She won't die from smoking because the diseases that come from it are simple things that Healers fix easily."

"What about the way it affects you on the outside?"

"Like what?" Ivy asked.

"The smell-"

"The smell can be eliminated with cleaning spells."

"It makes your breath stink!" Christi told Ivy.

"Umm, maybe for you, but I am aware of what toothpaste is."

"Yeah, Christi," Harry jeered, "Pick up a toothbrush!"

"I will break your nose!" Christi threatened and continued with Ivy, "It makes your teeth and fingernails yellow."

Travis answered this time, "Ivy won't let that happen to herself. Ivy's a clean freak, I thought you guys knew this." Travis said disinterestedly.

"You'll burn holes in your clothes and stuff." Christi said after a moment of thought.

"I know what repairing spells are."

"Can't use magic outside of school." Harry pointed out.

"I can sew!"

"What if you fall asleep smoking and burn down your house?" Christi countered. When Ivy didn't respond, she thought she had finally gotten her. Ivy jumped up happily though.

"It's the best part, come look!" Ivy stubbed out her cigarette and ran into the house, with the matches. Harry, Travis and Christi followed, and Ivy struck a match and put it against the carpet.

"What are you doing?" Christi cried. However the patch of fire went out as soon as it was started. The carpet looked perfect, just as before. The only sign of fire was the used matchstick lying next to Ivy's foot.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Harry asked in wonder.

Ivy smiled smugly, "It's a charm my dad put on the house-fire repellant. Puts out fires before they get too big."

Travis was nodding, "Pleasant now. Mum doesn't worry about burning down the kitchen too much."

"Mum can burn anything though, even with fire repellant spells." Ivy joked.

"Why'd they just put it in now?" Christi asked, "Why not long before?"

"Well remember when Sirius fell asleep in his chair last week with his cigarette?"

"Ohh," Harry and Christi said in unison.

"Yeah," Ivy nodded, "Exactly."

"Dad was worried he'd do it again, and didn't want to take the chance of losing the house." Travis explained, "Told Sirius he should think about being more bloody responsible."

"Watch your mouth, Travis!" Ivy wailed, "If Mum and Dad hear you talking like that, they'll blame me and lock me up!"

"I wonder why…" he said quietly, but Ivy still heard and glared at him.

Just then, they heard something sound from the fire. Ivy ran over to greet her parents' faces in the fire. "Hi Mum, hi Dad!"

"Hi, Ivy, we just got some good news by owl!" Emmeline said.

"What is it?" Ivy asked, "Who would owl you all the way in the Caribbean's?"

"Bahamas." Remus corrected, "Anyways, your dance instructor owled us. Mrs. Petrova-"

"It's Pitrova, dear." Emmeline rectified.

"No, Mum, it's Russova." Ivy told them both, "She's Russian, remember?"

"Those other names are Russian, too."

"I'm almost certain they're not, but go on. What'd she say, did I get the part in out new play, Giselle?"

"Yes, dear, you got the part of Giselle!" Emmeline said.

Ivy froze for a moment before squealing with joy, "Yes! You know, I was only trying to get the part of one of the Wilis or maybe Bathilde but I can't believe I got Giselle! I'm so excited!"

After she and her parents finished talking, she brought Travis over to talk to them, then Harry to talk to his parents, and Christi to talk with hers. She got a congratulatory speech from a drunked Sirius, and then they all said goodbye.

Once they were back at the pool, Ivy looked down, her eyes wide in fear, "What if I mess up onstage?"

But an hour later, "I'm already getting some of the steps down! I'll do fine!"

And the next day, "I have too much anger to be Giselle! Why couldn't I have been one of the Wilis?"

And then before she went to sleep the next day, "But of course, it's acting, practically. It's just dancing…"

Over the next couple of days, she had even more mood swings. "But they all say you have to really _feel_ the character you're playing! How in the hell am I going to do that when I can't relate to Giselle!"

"I just need to fall in love, that's it! And then I need to be lied to by him, and die, but forgive him because I really love him!"

"That's ridiculous, I'd be furious if I got lied to by my love, much more than Giselle… Also, I can't die, now can I…"

"I'm fine! My dancing is great, I'm coming along superbly!"

"I'm terrible!"

And that was only a few of them.

On the day their parents came home, Ivy was practicing her dancing on the bare wooden floors of their empty dining room-empty since her parents had cleared it so she could practice dancing on those floors for some space. It was about noon and they were expecting their parents to be home at any moment. She called for Christi, "Christi! Can you come in here to tell me how I'm doing?"

"You won't explode again, will you?" Christi called reproachfully from the pool.

"If I do, you'll be there to pick up the pieces, won't you?" Ivy laughed. Christi came in and watched as she began to dance one of Giselle's routines. Once she finished, she paused in the graceful ending bow and then stood and looked at Christi, who was silent. "Well, Christi? How did I do this time?"

"That was great, sweetie!" said another voice in the room. Ivy turned and saw her parents, Harry's parents, Christi's parents and Sirius standing there.

"How much did you see?" asked Ivy excitedly.

"About half." Sirius answered, "It was bloody fantastic!"

"Aww, thanks, guys." she smiled sweetly.

"She's been freaking out all bloody week-"

"Christina, don't you dare use that language." Snape scolded his daughter.

"Ivy, I would suggest you work a bit more on your leaps." Vivian began to say to Ivy, "You didn't seem very springy and the jumps were kind of off. Also, your timing. It was a smidgen infrequent with the music."

Ivy narrowed her eyes at Vivian, but sensing that she would get in trouble for saying what she felt, she just said, "Alright." and rolled her eyes when she turned around.

XXX

The next day, Ivy was practicing dance again. After completing the routine for the umpteenth time and not feeling more confident about her performance, she opted to go outside by the pool. She went and sat down in one of the lawn chairs and pulled her pack of cigarettes out of her jacket pocket, and matches.

She wasn't thinking about the parents in the house. Besides, it was very early. Travis wasn't up, she knew, and she didn't think her parents would be up.

She especially didn't think Sirius would be up, or even having the coherent thought to head to the Lupin house that early. But suddenly there he was, pulling the cigarette out of Ivy's fingers and stomping it out.

"Ivy, what the bloody hell are you thinking?" Sirius demanded, "You are underage, and smoking? Even for Muggles, you're underage! You're only fourteen, Ivy, you can't b doing this at this early age! You'll get sick, you'll be unhealthy!"

"Could you keep your voice down, please?" Ivy begged, "I don't want Mum and Dad to hear or know…"

"Your mum and dad… Oh, shit…" Sirius began to panic, "Alright, Ivy, listen to me!"

"I'm listening." she said in a far more calm manner than he.

"Don't ever smoke again! And do not tell your parents about it! They will blame me!"

"I didn't wanna tell them about it anyways, but it's great to know you definitely won't tell."

"You can ruin yourself, doing this, Ivy." Sirius, said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I've already gone through all of the consequences with Christi." Ivy rolled her eyes.

"Diseases?"

"Yep."

"How nasty the habit is?"

"We did that."

"Did she mention how even if Healers can cure diseases caused by smoking, it still slows you down very much."

"What do you mean?"

Sirius sighed, "Well, Ivy, it makes breathing harder, which sure, Healers could fix but it is continuous and comes back constantly. It slows your heart, the same thing with Healers. Also, you're a dancer. If these things happen to you, you'll just… You won't be as good. And you are a great dancer, Ivy. If you were Muggle, you could take it as a career."

"I could if I wanted to even though I'm a witch…" she muttered, "Living in the Muggle world can't be so hard."

"Exactly." Sirius said, "Ivy, why ruin your chances by becoming unhealthy?"

"I… I don't know." she shrugged.

"What made you smoke in the first place?"

Ivy's voice was small and weak now. "Well… I don't know…" she shrugged.

"You don't want to tell me, I see. Alright, I'll leave it alone." Sirius said comfortingly.

After a few moments of silence, Ivy sighed, "I hope to Merlin this year is better."

"Better, how?"

"Like… No troubles with Harry being at danger of You-Know-Who… And none of him going around in the forest after dark and taking Christi with him. I hope he's not in danger this year, I hope he's not… stupid!"

Sirius smiled, "I don't think you'll have to worry this year."

"The past two years I have… This is ridiculous, why can't things just be peaceful?"

"Well this year your dad is going to be teaching."

Ivy sat up quickly, "Really?"

"Yes, he'll be filling in the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Ivy let out a noise that was somewhere between a groan and a squeal. "Okay, Poison Ivy, I can't tell whether you're excited or disappointed."

"I'm… I'm just… Both?"

Sirius chuckled. "What, now you'll get to have your dad close, but then now you won't be able to get involved in silly shenanigans with your friends without getting in a load of trouble from your dad?"

"Exactly! It's like now, I'll have him nearby if I really need him but… If I get in trouble with Fred and George-"

"The Weasley twins?"

"Yes. If I get in trouble with them then my dad will kill me!"

Remus and Emmeline decided on that moment to walk out there, coincidentally. They were rubbing their eyes and holding cups of coffee, having just woken up and apparently having heard Ivy and Sirius talking outside.

"Why am I going to kill you?" Remus asked.

Emmeline said, "What did you do, young lady?"

"I was just saying because if I get in trouble this year at Hogwarts, you'll be there to… I dunno… do something awful to me as punishment."

Remus chuckled and went to sat on the other side of Ivy, "Well, that's why you won't be acting up, right?"

She sighed and said innocently, "Uh-huh."

"Ivy, why don't you go inside and get changed from your dance things. We were planning to go to breakfast if Travis ever wakes up." Emmeline said, ushering Ivy inside.

"I could help with the active state of Travis's brain…" she offered slyly. Remus and Emmeline smiled and told her she could. With that, she rushed upstairs, intent on waking him up by any means possible. Sirius smiled as she went inside the house, and the three adults went inside.

"She is going to be the death of me." Remus said lightly.

"You were saying that when she was six years old. Eight years later, and you're still living." Sirius laughed.

"It'll take maybe one or two more years."

"She is a very bright girl." Emmeline said as she started to make more coffee, "She's just… Incredibly smart."

"She can solve problems in a flash, she's got more common sense than any other girl on the block. Ivy has great grades, she's a star in ballet and… She's just a troublemaker." Remus continued.

"I wonder where she got that…" Sirius said vaguely, "Neither of you two were ever that bad when we were young."

The couple shot accusing looks to Sirius, who waved them off.

"But you know," Emmeline said, pouring coffee for Sirius, "Ivy is very accepting of… everything."

"She knows about you being a werewolf, right, Remus?" Sirius asked.

Remus nodded, "And she's very accepting of it, actually."

"Or she just doesn't show her true feelings." Emmeline said.

Remus shrugged, "Either way, she wants to create a cure for it. She's vowed to."

Sirius smiled, "Ivy's a very smart, determined girl. Not saying she's gonna make that happen, but I'm sure she'll make some sort of good change to the world."

Remus nodded, but didn't get to respond before they heard Travis and Ivy arguing upstairs. Emmeline chuckled and said to Remus, "Go get ready, I'll get them. And Sirius, if you could watch them while I get ready?"

"Sure." he nodded. He was left alone in the kitchen to think about the smart, adorable, troublemaking, hardheaded daughter of one of his best friends, and the future she might have.


	11. Chapter 11

Walking through the hallway, Christi, Harry, Ron and Hermione are heading toward DADA. Both Christi and Harry were nervous with Remus being their teacher as they would occasionally pass notes to each other during class and with Remus having lycanthropy his senses were heightened so he could see what was going on.

"Are you two nervous with your uncle being a professor here?" Hermione asks.

"Incredibly, because that means we can't pass notes." Christi said, "But on a lighter note, I heard Alicia can't play Quidditch this year since her dad said so… so I was actually thinking about trying out for the team."

"Wait, your dad actually is allowing that?" Hermione asks, shocked.

"Well about that…he doesn't know. I'm pretty sure that if he could put me into a protective bubble he would." She said as they entered the classroom and see all the desks moved to the sides of the classroom. An armoire was jostling around and they all just stare at it until Remus comes into the room.

"Good morning everyone today we are going to be working with a boggart. Now can anyone tell me what a boggart looks like?" To his question, Christi and Hermione promptly throw their hands up. Christi is who he calls upon.

"No one knows what they look like as they take the image of someone's worst fear."

"Very good. Five points to Gryffindor."

"Favoritism." Mutters Malfoy.

"Malfoy shut up." Christi snaps.

Remus clears his throat knowing Christi's short temper. He didn't want her swinging and hitting Draco then him having to report her to the headmaster for fighting, and giving her a detention, and deduct points. She quiets and turns back to facing Remus.

"Now the spell to say when encountering a Boggart is _Riddikulus_. Now repeat after me _Riddikulus_."

The class repeats after him and Malfoy leans over to Crabbe and Goyle whispering, "This class is ridiculous."

"Very good!" Remus says after a few times then continues, "Now everyone line up. We're going to practice casting it." Everyone lines up, and Neville Longbottom is first in line. Remus beams at him, "Now Neville what do you fear most?"

"Professor Snape, sir." He stutters, making Christi snort.

Remus chuckles, "And you live with your grandmother, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright. Now picture what your grandmother wears."

Neville nodded, "She… She wears a—"

"No, no. Don't tell me." He says then lowers his voice to whisper, "Just imagine Professor Snape in your grandmothers clothing when casting the spell."

Neville nods and has his wand at the ready. Remus waves his wand and opens the armoire door and the Snape boggart steps out looking highly intimidating.

"_Riddikulus!_" Neville casts and suddenly the boggart was in Neville's grandmother's clothing. Everyone starts laughing and Neville moves to the back of the line and a few more people go and Christi gets close and she starts getting fidgety.

"Christi." She hears and she looks up and nods stepping up facing the spider on roller skates.

Suddenly it changes to Snape dying and she starts hyperventilating and struggling to breathe. She fell to the ground, grasping her sides with tears pouring down her face. Remus quickly steps in and pulls her off to the side. He waves Blaise over and asks him to take her to the infirmary.

Soon, the class dismisses and everyone grabs their stuff and leaves the room. Ron, Harry and Hermione all go right to the infirmary to check on Christi. When they get there, Madam Pomfrey said that she had sent Christi and Blaise in their way a little while ago.

"Black Lake! She likes to go there to calm down when she's upset." Hermione says. The two boys nod and they follow Hermione out there. They get there and find Christi and Blaise gathering their stuff and heading toward the Forbidden Forest for their Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Blaise was asking.

"I'm fine Blaise. Thanks to the Calming Draught Madam Pomfrey gave me."

"Alright, just making sure. You and your dad are really close aren't you?"

"Yeah, until I was about six it was just my dad and I so I'm a major daddy's girl and not to mention he's my only remaining blood family left so I worry every time he has to…" she stops, about to reveal his secret, "Umm… Never mind. I'm just petrified of losing my dad." She said stopping before blowing her dad's secret of being a spy against Voldemort.

"Hey you okay?" Harry asks.

"Yeah I'm fine. Madam Pomfrey gave me a Calming Draught."

"Good, we got worried about you."

She smiles and hugs her friends.

"You know she's going to tell your dad." Ron said.

"Yeah and then he's going to bring me down to his quarters and question me on it." She says rolling her eyes as the small group gets to where class is being held.

"Oh my goodness! Look at the hippogriff!" Christi says going wide eyed.

"Very good Christi! Ten points for Gryffindor for the correct identification ole Buckbeak here." Hagrid said patting the massive hippogriff on the neck.

"Now hippogriffs are proud creatures. You gotta bow to them low down to the ground and wait for them to bow back earning their respect and trust. If he doesn't bow back you need to back away slowly." The class nods and Hagrid looks at Harry. "Come on 'Arry. Give it a try."

"What? No, no!"

"Yeah! C'mon, 'Arry!"

Harry looks hesitant and gulps walking up. He does as Hagrid tells him. Buckbeak squawks and flaps his wings. Hermione gasps and grabs Ron's wrist subconsciously and Christi, who was standing next to Blaise does the same.

"Stay just like you are 'Arry but back away slowly." Hagrid says. Harry starts backing away but Hagrid makes him stop and Buckbeak finally bows back. "Very good 'Arry! Now go up to him and get on."

"WHAT!" Harry asks wide eyes as Hagrid walks over and picks him up easily despite his squirming. Hagrid finally sets Harry down on Buckbeak.

"Now don't pull any of his feathers. He won't like that." Hagrid said slapping Buckbeak's hindquarters sending him galloping off then flying. Both Christi and Hermione look down and blush to see what they were gripping and pull their hands back. Ron didn't seem to notice and Blaise smirks.

"You okay?"

"Yea, Harry and I are just close. I guess you could say we're like brother and sister." She explains.

"I could tell the same thing with..Ivy I think it is."

"Yes it's Ivy. The two of us are three of us are really close like that."

Blaise smiles and they keep talking until Buckbeak comes back carrying Harry who looked like he was having the time of his life.

After class they all head over to the Great Hall for lunch. Just sitting down for lunch the four teens sit down and start putting food on their plates talking about DADA and Care of Magical Creatures.

"Are you sure you're alright Christi?" Harry asks.

"Yeah, it just freaked me out today. That's why I so fidgety in line. I had a feeling that was going to be my boggart." She said.

"Well you don't have to worry about that. Your dad is young and healthy for a wizard his age. He'll live a long life." Hermione said. Christi smiles and they keep talking.

"So… you and Zabini…" casually states Harry.

"We are nothing." Christi cuts him off, "He's really nice. Not like Malfoy and just about every single Slytherin. He's not like them. He doesn't believe in any of the stuff the Dark Lord represents or anything the pure-bloods want. He doesn't even know how he ended up in Slytherin. I don't either. Just from talking with him and being with him for a short time… Well, I say he's more of a Ravenclaw than anything."

XXX

Quidditch try outs had arrived and Christi was nervous. She was chewing her lower lip as she tied her hair back so that it stayed out of her face while she was flying. She was going out for Chaser and she was nervous. Sure she, Harry, Travis, Remus, James and Sirius all played against each other but that was different. That was garden fun this was going toward the House and Quidditch cup at the end of the term so she was scared shitless at the moment.

The try outs start and Christi is in the first group and she catches the Quaffle and she zips past everyone trying to get it from her and she gets as close as she can to the hoops and tosses the ball into the hoop and scores.

"Yes!" she smiles.

The try-outs go on for the rest of the afternoon then end just before dinner starts. Every one heads back to the dorm nervous about the posting of the results before curfew. Christi goes and takes a quick shower then goes down to dinner and spots Ivy there and Blaise at the Slytherin table. She gives him a smile then sits next to Ivy.

"So I heard about what happened to you in DADA today. You okay?" Ivy asks worriedly.

"Yeah I'm fine. I wish people would stop asking. I had a mild panic attack. I'm fine."

Ivy nods as more students file in for dinner and the professors come in as well. Severus looks at Christi and nods over to her and she nods. She knew he would want to talk to her after dinner.

XXX

Heading to her father's quarters Christi approaches the portrait of Salazar Slytherin.

"Password?" he grunts.

"May twentieth." She said simply. He nods and opens up. Severus had set his password to be her birthday.

"Daddy?"

"Just a minute." He calls.

She looks over by the fire and sees two tea cups, a teapot steaming, the creamer and sugar bowl. She sits down and puts some tea in her tea cup just adding a few sugars and sitting back pulling her feet up and under her as she waited for her father.

"So Remus told me what happened in class." Snape said, "You want to talk about it?"

"No, because I'm fine. I just had a mild panic attack at what my boggart is. I'm fine daddy. Really."

"Apparently not. Poppy told me you needed both a Calming Draught"

"Daddy really I'm fine." She insists, "Please just drop it. I'm fine." She tells him as she puts her tea cup down then gets up and heads back to Gryffindor tower. She gets there and sees Oliver posting the team roster. She runs over and waits for him to leave then scans the list for her name and she finds it and moves over and sees she made the team and not as an alternate. She squeals and runs up the stairs and right over to Ivy's room and bursts in and leaps onto her bed.

"IVY!" she squeals waking up her best friend who was nearly her sister which was a bad idea since she gets grumpy when she's woken up.

"What?" Ivy groans.

"I have good news!"

"This better be good." Ivy hisses.

"I made the Quidditch team! I'm a chaser!" she squeals happily.

"That's great! But now let me sleep." She nods and leaves and heads to her own room and gets ready for bed. She gets dressed quickly then climbs into bed happily.

XXX

Heading down into the Great Hall she smiles happily as Harry comes over and pats her on the back.

"So you made the team?"

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for my dad to come over demanding why I didn't run it by him and stuff." She says rolling her eyes as she sits down and starts picking out what she wants to eat.

"Well you don't have to wait very long because here comes your dad now."

She rolls her eyes smirking as he takes a seat right next to her. "So I heard from Minerva you're the newest chaser for the house team?"

"Yeah, I am. To be honest I didn't think I was going to make the team so that's why I didn't say anything or ask you about it."

Severus nods and ruffles her affectingly. She squirms away and fixes her hair. "Well I'm proud of you."

"Thanks daddy." She said, hugging him.

"No problem." He hugs her back and kisses the top of her head.


	12. Chapter 12

"Excited for the Hogsmeade trip today?" Fred asked Ivy at breakfast. She nodded enthusiastically, staring at her cereal. She had poured the milk in a few minutes ago and had yet to take a bite.

"Where should we go first?" George asked her as Katie Bell sat down next to Ivy.

"Hey, Ivy."

"Hi." She smiled, "Actually, I was gonna hang out with Katie."

"Well we can all go in together." George said, "We can all go to Honeydukes first. I know that you, Miss Lupin, are out of chocolate."

Ivy scowled, "Is it obvious?"

"You've got frown lines from lack of chocolate." Fred joked.

Ivy rolled her eyes and said, "Well okay then. After that you both can go to Zonko's and do whatever else… Pull pranks on passers and students, and then after your business is done, then we can all meet back at the Three Broomsticks."

"Where are you two going?" Fred asked.

Katie answered, "Gladrags."

Ivy said, "And the post office."

"Sounds boring." Fred said.

"Well, there are not a lot of other places to go in Hogsmeade." She said, still looking at her cereal.

"Why aren't you eating?" Katie asked.

"We asked her that when she made the cereal." George said.

Ivy huffed, "I _will_ eat, but… Well, the milk needs to…" Ivy waved her hands over the bowl for a moment, "You know."

"I don't know." Katie said, shaking her head.

"It needs to settle." She waved her hands over it again in a rhythmic way, "It needs to do its thing. Soak thyself." She started to talk to it, "Prepare thyself for… Deliciousness."

George raised his eyebrows, "Not that I don't completely accept your talking to breakfast foods, but this is sort of overdoing it."

"The cereal was sort of stale. The milk has to soak in to make it taste good."

George nodded, but still looked apprehensive, just like his brother. After they all ate, they joined Alicia, Angelina and Lee.

They all went to Honeydukes and Ivy browsed the shelves. She looked at every new thing there was before simply buying a few months' worth of chocolate and other sweets.

Katie giggled once she paid for everything. "You have enough money to pay for all of that?"

She nodded, "Of course."

"What a sweet tooth." Angelina commented.

"I get it from my father." She said, "He has chocolate stashed everywhere in the house. I'm always able to find his hiding places."

Alicia looked at all the things that Ivy was bagging. Honeydukes fudge, licorice wands, pumpkin pasties, jellybeans, bubblegum, pastries and cakes, hard candies, lollipops, sugar treats and most importantly, sugar quills.

"She sucks those in every class." Katie said, pointing to the quills.

"It's an addiction." Ivy shrugged, pulling out a gumball, "A really sad sort of addiction."

The girls giggled and left the boys to go shopping while Fred, George and Lee went to Zonko's. "Get me something really good!" Ivy called, "Something _good_, mind you, not a prank on me!"

"You think so low of us!" Fred called back as they disappeared into the store.

As they walked into the clothing shop, Ivy shrugged, "I do think pretty low of them when it comes to pranks."

After shopping and going to the post office, they all gathered in the Three Broomsticks. Ivy grabbed a table for them before three third year Hufflepuffs could get to it. The Hufflepuffs walked away from the dominant fourth year, disappointed. Once everyone sat down, Lee ordered them all Butterbeers and told everyone it was on him. He had a cheerful grin on his face.

"Why so happy, mate?" George asked.

"I've finally worked up the courage to ask out Patricia Stimpson."

Fred nodded, "Oh yeah, you've been working on that a while, haven't you?"

"You like Patricia?" Ivy asked, "How come you never told me this?"

Lee said, "Well I would have jinxed it. Anyways, I asked her this morning, and I should be expecting an answer any moment."

At that moment, Ivy looked toward the door and saw Patricia coming in with her roommates. They went to a table not far from theirs, and Angeline pointed her out. "Patricia is right over there, you know."

"She is?" Lee asked, almost jumping out of his seat. He collected himself once on his feet and walked over smoothly to go talk to her. Things seemed to be going fine when Ivy noticed another person walk in.

"Oh, that's Oliver Wood!" she almost squealed, but hushed her voice.

Alicia asked, "Why an interest in him?"

"She has a crush on him." Katie giggled as Ivy looked at him dreamily. He wasn't paying attention and joined his friends.

Angelina smiled sympathetically at Ivy, though she was too distracted to catch it. As soon as the girls started to tease her, though, Ivy stood up for herself. "Well I know I'll never have a long shot with him!"

"You might if you were older." Alicia said, "If you were his age, I bet you two would be together."

"But I'm not his age." She sighed, "I'm too young. But he's still very adorable. And that accent of his…" Ivy trailed off.

"You're not the only girl to crush on Oliver Wood." Angelina said, "Plenty of other girls have."

"Angelina did." Alicia said.

"So did Alicia." Fred chuckled.

"I think Fred had some sort of strange man-crush on Oliver." Alicia glared at him.

Fred frowned and said, "I'm no pouf!"

"Sure you aren't." Ivy agreed sarcastically, and continued to look at Oliver. "It's not like I'm head over heels in love with him, and I expect nothing. He's just fun to look at."

"I know how you feel." Angelina and Alicia said at almost the same time. They all turned their attention back to Lee. Both he and Patricia were smiling widely, and Lee seemed to be working magic on her. Then, they stood up and kissed.

Everyone—Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Ivy, Fred and George—all cooed, "Awww," which made the new couple break away, blushing.

XXX

The following Saturday, Ivy got a visit that she didn't expect. She was just sitting in the grass by the lake, under the infamous beech tree, known for giving shade to students whether they were studying or fooling around or making out, whatever it was.

Ivy was actually studying. It just wasn't for school. Open before her were many books, all containing pictures, diagrams and information about lycanthropy, or werewolves. If she was gonna learn how to make an antidote, why not start now?

"Hey there, Poison Ivy!" Sirius said, coming up to her and surprising her. She jumped, but turned around quickly and hugged her godfather. With her foot, she nudged the books closed so he wouldn't see what she was doing.

"Sirius!" she squealed, "Why are you here?"

"Well James is here too, and—"

"Ooh…" she muttered, understanding immediately. She had been keeping track of the lunar cycle. It was the first full moon of the year that night, and surely enough, James and Sirius had come to help her father out when it was time. "So where is Uncle James?"

"Coming," Sirius looked back but James wasn't there, "He saw McGonagall on the way and stopped to say hello."

"You know, she's my favorite teacher. She appreciates my spunk and knowledge."

"What about your father?" he asked, smirking.

She shrugged, "He's my father, and he can't be my favorite teacher, too."

"Can't I?" she heard, and saw Remus standing behind Sirius, grinning.

"Of course not." She shook her head, "But anyways, McGonagall really likes me."

Remus nodded and they all sat down, and Ivy hurried to put the books into her bag. They failed to notice what the books or her notes on several pieces of parchment were about. "Minerva is always talking about how bright you are, and how you actually apply yourself."

"I do apply myself. I try really hard, you know." She said, "Can't be a Healer with rubbishy grades."

"I keep forgetting about your pact to be a Healer." Remus said.

She shrugged, "Well I think about it every day."

James walked up next along with Harry. "Look who I found!" Harry said excitedly.

"Finally you get here." Sirius said, "We thought you'd disappeared."

"Where would I disappear to, exactly?" James asked coyly as he and Harry sat down.

Sirius shrugged, and Harry posed a question, "Why are you two here?"

Harry didn't know about Remus's lycanthropy. And Ivy knew he didn't know. They all sat around uncomfortably and Sirius said, "Just for a visit."

Ivy got up with her bag full of werewolf books, "Well, I have a lot of studying to do, so… Umm, I'll catch up with you guys later. It was nice to see you."

She gave James and Sirius hugs and then went off to the library. Hopefully no one would bother her there as she studied.

She sat at one of the back tables with no one at it. No studying got done for her, but she wept a bit for her father, and that terrible condition.

She didn't realize how long she'd been crying until Fred and George came along.

"Hey, Ivy! We've looked all over the place y=fir you, this was the last place we thought you'd be. It's dinner time!" George said before he saw her crying. She quickly dried her eyes, but they had already seen her tears.

"Ivy, what's wrong?" Fred asked, concerned. She didn't answer him and started to pack her books up.

"Umm, nothing." She said, "Just allergies."

"Rubbish." George said. The twins sat in the seats beside where she was before and pulled her down to sit. "Tell us what's wrong?"

"I'm fine." She muttered angrily and got up again, only to be pulled down once more.

"Ivy, tell us what's wrong. We're starting to worry." George said.

"What it something someone said?" Fred asked.

"Have people been saying things?" Ivy asked suspiciously.

"No, I just thought… What's wrong if it's not that? You're tough, Ivy, you don't cry at all!"

Ivy persevered, "I'm fine." She insisted, though her eyes were still red and puffy, "Just leave me alone, please."

Her getaway was successful this time. She didn't head to dinner even though her stomach was grumbling. She headed up to the Gryffindor Tower instead. No one was there, since everyone was at dinner.

She didn't pause to stay in the Common Room, but went straight up to her deserted dormitory. She put her werewolf books back into her trunk and climbed into bed without undressing. She fell asleep immediately, still weeping softly.

XXX

Travis didn't take the news that his sister was crying very well. Fred and George had told him and asked for his advice on helping her, but he took matters into his own hands.

He led the twins to the beech tree that Ivy was currently sitting under, studying again. The second year didn't have an exact plan, but he wanted to know why his sister was upset and how he could help.

She looked up at they approached and as they all sat around her.

"Hi…" she said apprehensively. She had been avoiding the twins for the past day and a half since they saw her crying.

"Hi, Ivy." Travis said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said shortly.

He shook his head, "Why were you crying the other day then?"

She frowned, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Fred and George frowned too. They didn't know what it would take to get her to tell what was bothering her, but it wouldn't be very easy at all.

Too stubborn.


	13. Chapter 13

"What's going on?" Ivy asked, walking up to the quartet staring sadly down at Hagrid's Hut. She was previously sitting at the beech tree, but when she saw them from there, she wanted company so she decided to go over.

"Buckbeak just got executed." Christi wept. Her head was in her hands and she was crying softly with Harry trying to comfort her.

Ivy gasped and put her hands to her mouth, "Oh my goodness!" she sighed and swept a tear from her cheek, "That poor, helpless creature… Is this because of what he did to Malfoy?"

"Yeah." Harry answered.

Hermione cut in, "That git! He thinks he can do whatever because he's pureblood… Because he's got power… Because he's got money! Merlin, I _hate_ him!"

"Hermione punched him." Ron commented.

"Really?" Ivy asked, impressed. She laughed once, still wiping her last tears from her eyes.

Ron nodded, "It was wicked. Right in the nose."

Ivy smiled and gave Hermione a high-five. "Good job. Christi's rubbing off on you."

"Not too much." Christi defended herself, "Draco got her really angry. That was the first time I've seen Hermione act out like that."

Hermione blushed and smiled. "It was an accident."

The four others laughed at that, and she joined in. They stopped and stared quietly at Hagrid's hut for a while. Their silence was interrupted by a yelp from Ron.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed. He dropped the rat in his hand—Scabbers—and shook his hand out. "Scabbers bit me! Come back, Scabbers! Come back!"

Ron began to chase after his rat, and the other four followed him. "He only just found his rat, and its already trying to get away…" Harry said sympathetically.

"Maybe it really doesn't like him." Christi suggested. Ron finally dove and caught the rat.

"Gotcha!" he began to get up, but they heard a loud growl.

A big, black dog ran up and grabbed Ron by the leg with his teeth. Ron screamed and was still screaming as the dog dragged him away. They all chased after, and saw Ron and the dog disappears into a hole at the base of the Whomping Willow. Ivy looked horrified. She was gaping, and while the others were equally horrified, Ivy looked like she was about to hyperventilate.

The Whomping Willow was swinging its branches again. It started out slow, and Ivy suddenly darted for the hole. She dove into it from a run just as a branch was about to sweep her off of her feet. She got in successfully and they heard her scream, and then go silent.

The hole was dirty and dark. Ivy could barely see. The sky was dark outside. She thought it was about eight o'clock. She crawled through the hole, which was very low ceilinged at the beginning. She was finally able to stand and found herself in a saloon sort of area. The room was very shabby. It had peeling grey wallpaper, torn up furniture and creaky wooden floors. Everything was coated with a very thick layer of dust, and it was very dark. There were muddy footprints on the floor, which led up the stairs, so Ivy chose this path.

She walked cautiously upstairs, trying not to make much noise. She was only halfway up when she heard several thumps and grunts. She looked over the railing into the saloon where Harry, Christi and Hermione were now emerging. They followed Ivy upstairs and they entered a room. Ivy held back at first, just peering in. She entered when she saw Ron laying on the floor, clutching Scabbers in one hand and his leg with the other hand. It was all bloody and sort of broken. He seemed clueless to what was going on.

Finally, Sirius emerged, looking sort of shabby. Ivy frowned and leaned against the wall, sinking to the floor while Harry, Christi and Hermione entered the room further.

"You're an Animagus?" Hermione asked, "How? There's only been four reported Animagi in all of history."

"We're illegal Animagi, Hermione." Sirius answered. Ivy rolled her eyes, which he caught and smirked at her.

Ivy sighed and her voice broke as she asked, "What'd you do to Ron? Why?"

"I was just trying to get to Peter."

Remus and James entered the room, and Remus went to Ron's aid. "Pads, I told you to get the rat, not Ron and… All these children."

"Merlin, Padfoot," James groaned, looking from Ivy to his own son to Christi, and then to Hermione and Ron, "What did you do?"

"How was I supposed to know everyone would follow?"

"What's going on?" Ivy asked again as Remus stepped back, his eyes on the hand that Ron's rat was in.

"Ivy, you need to leave." He said in a demanding voice.

Ivy looked at him, gaping in disbelief. She stood up quickly and raised herself to him, "Absolutely not!"

"Ivy, you better leave right now, or else—" Ivy cut him off.

"No, no, no, no, no! I'm not gonna leave until I learn what the hell is going on here! First Sirius comes out and drags Ron by the leg in here, and now you're looking at his rat and telling me to leave! I absolutely deserve to bloody know!"

"So do we." Harry added, "We went through an angry tree's branches to get here!"

"I think it sprained my wrist…" Christi muttered.

Sirius finally exclaimed, "We want Peter!"

"Peter Pettigrew?" Harry asked, "But isn't he dead?"

"He's on the map, Harry." Remus answered.

"Then the map's lying. Peter blew up the street, tried to blame it on Sirius."

"Load of good that did him…" Sirius muttered, "I was easily proven innocent."

Harry said, "And Peter died! The map is lying."

"The map never lies Harry." Ivy interjected, "Never!"

Remus nodded, "Never."

"So Peter is alive? How?"

James answered that one, "Peter is an Animagus, like Sirius and I."

"Well still, it makes no sense."

Sirius sighed irately, "He blew up the street. The only thing they found of him was his finger! Ron, your rat, Scabbers, is missing a toe, isn't he?"

Ron nodded, "Well, yeah, but he's always been like that."

"And you've had him for how long?" James requested.

"Percy had him before me… He's been in the family for about twelve years…"

James and Sirius nodded, and Ivy got a horrified look on her face, even more than before. "My God, I think I'm going to be sick."

Sirius nodded, "It's sickening, isn't it? Peter is the rat. On that night, he didn't die. He disappeared into the sewer with the other rats! He's been acting as your pet for all this time, Ron."

"And now you're going to kill him?" Harry asked. Sirius was the only one who answered, nodding.

"I'm going to commit the murder that I was accused of twelve years ago."

"The dirty rat who betrayed us." James said, and Harry gasped. "Give up the rat, Ron."

Ron hesitated, but let go. Scabbers—or Peter—scurried around the room for a moment. The three grown men chased after them, and finally Sirius pointed his want at the rat and it grew into human form.

The man himself was timid, balding, and shaking. He breathed heavily, and squeaked when the three men pointed their wands at him.

"James! Sirius! Remus! My dear old friends, my—" he collapsed to the ground before their feet and all of them stepped away sharply. "Oh, please don't kill me! Please, don't! I'm so, so sorry for what I did! James, I, I… I'm so sorry!" he wheezed, crawling to James, who backed away further.

"Get away from me!" he spat.

Ivy, who had backed up to stand next to Harry, grabbed his hand. He gripped hers harshly, not letting go. He was scared, and Ivy knew it. He didn't want his dad to get hurt. Ivy also knew he felt a load of rage for Peter Pettigrew. She did too. He hadn't done anything incredibly personal to her, but she went with everyone else and hated on him.

"You betrayed James and Lily, Peter!" Sirius bellowed, "We're going to kill you no matter what!"

"Please, please don't! I had no other choice! He was going to kill me! I didn't have a choice!"

"Then you should have died!" Sirius yelled, "You should have died than betrayed your friends!"

"Any of us would have died rather than sell another out!" Remus yelled, "We even would have for you—back then, that is!"

"Lily wouldn't want you to kill me!" Peter begged James, "Please don't!"

"Lily hates you as much as I do!" James spit at him.

Peter's lip trembled, "Please, I…" he crawled over to Harry, "Harry, Harry, you're so grown up! Please don't let them kill me, please!" Harry was disgusted at him, as was Ivy. "Ivy, Ivy Lynn…" Peter sobbed on her feet, "Please, Ivy!"

Ivy squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered, "Ugh!" and tried to back away, but backed into the wall.

"Get away from my daughter!" Remus yelled, clenching the back of his shirt and pulling him backwards. Peter fell to the ground on his back and started to sob again.

"Please don't kill me!" he sobbed.

"We're going to, no matter what!" Sirius screamed. They all pointed their wands, "On three… One… Two…"

The door burst open at that moment, and a voice cried, "Expelliarmus!"

All wands flew all over the place, and Ivy caught one of them. They all looked to see who is was, and Christi gasped. It was her father. Snape was in there now, glaring at everyone.

"Christi," he hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him. He glared at Remus especially hard, "Why, Professor Lupin… I expected better of you. This is no example to set for your daughter, your nephew, your students… I expected this from Black, but not you… Or Potter…" he sneered at James, who sneered back.

"This is none of your concern, Severus." Remus addressed him, "Take Christi and leave."

"I see that Pettigrew is here too… Were you about to kill him for what he's done?"

"Could you blame us?" Sirius asked.

"It's punishable by Azkaban…" Snape commented idly.

Ivy narrowed her eyes at him and raised herself to him like she had done to Remus, "You wouldn't do that, though. You wouldn't tear two families apart and another life by sending the three of them to Azkaban. I know you loathe them all still, despite the years you've come to spend with our families, but honestly… You're soulless to do that."

Snape narrowed his eyes at Ivy, and Christi tapped his arm to distract him. "Daddy, you're a good person…"

Snape sighed and nodded, "I know, sweetie… We all need to leave now. Remus, you could get fired for this, but seeing as I'm a good man—"

Sirius snorted at that. Snape and Sirius suddenly entered a glaring match. Ivy tossed the wand to James, its rightful owner, and Remus went over to her.

"Are you okay?"

Ivy didn't answer, but looked around the room. She looked at her frightful friends, to Snape clutching Christi's arm, then to Sirius, who was fuming, and James, who was working on getting Ron better, with his broken leg. She only glanced at the quivering Peter.

"What are you gonna do now?" Ivy asked.

Remus was about to say something when Peter suddenly morphed into his rat form and made a break for the door. Sirius and James rushed after him immediately, trying to get through the door at once. They were heard stomping down the stairs and throughout the Shrieking Shack.

Meanwhile, Remus helped Ron with his wounds. Ivy sat next to Harry and Hermione and asked them, "Are you guys okay?"

Hermione shrugged, "I've known for a while…"

Ivy furrowed her eyebrows, "What?"

"Not about Peter or the Animagi, but about your father."

She narrowed her eyes at Hermione, "What about my father?"

Hermione scoffed, "That he's a werewolf… Harry didn't even have to tell me about it. I could guess… I mean, it's obvious, how he's always ill during the full moon, and how Sirius and James always come at that time. I recognized all the signs, but I especially got it when Snape was filling in for Professor Lupin when he was sick and Snape gave us the lesson about werewolves and Animagi."

Snape smiled a little and helped with Ron.

"For the record," Harry interjected, "I didn't know… This is news to me…"

Ivy nodded and said, "Christi didn't know either."

Christi sat down with them and said, "I thought I saw some signs, but I was too busy to pay that much attention to the lunar cycle."

Remus glanced at them, to see Ivy's worried expression. She said, "You guys can't tell anybody. My dad will lose his job for it… All the parents will hate him."

They all swore they wouldn't as Sirius and James walked back in, out of breath. James said, "We lost him."

Harry clenched his fists and they all stood up. Sirius and James helped to hold Ron up throughout the house and tunnel so they could get outside.

"We need to get Ron quickly to the Hospital Wing." Remus said.

Sirius looked down and said guiltily, "Sorry about that, mate."

Ron shook his head and said, "It's okay, I understand."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh and they all managed to get through to the outside. They moved way away from the swinging tree.

"Is this safe?" Ivy asked quietly, but everyone heard her.

"Why wouldn't it be, Poison Ivy?" Sirius asked. Ivy glanced at the sky. The full moon was hidden behind a fairly thin cloud. Remus wasn't transforming yet though. She sucked in a sharp breath as a wind caught the trees. The breeze ruffled around them, and slowly the cloud moved out of the way.

Remus dropped his wand and was seized by a tremor. He seized, still standing up, and shook. Sirius rushed to him while James supported Ron and shielded the kids along with Snape.

Sirius clutched Remus while he shook, and slowly started to transform. His clothes ripped and Ivy watched in terror, her eyes leaking tears. Remus grew fur and grew much larger. His arms lengthened and he grew a tail, ears on his head and his eyes turned yellow. His teeth turned very, very sharp. He turned into a beast right before their eyes.

Sirius transformed into his Animagus form and they started to fight. Whether it was real or fake, Ivy didn't know. They tumbled down the hill and out of sight, and James began to gather everyone up. "We have got to get you all back to the castle. Come with me, right now. Come on, let's go."

As he ushered the kids across the grounds, all Ivy heard was her father growling and barking and roaring loudly.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Christi, Harry, Hermione and Ron were all sitting together at the table in Great Hall. Ivy was sitting alone on the other end. All four of them were just picking at their food while Ivy didn't have any in front of her at all. They weren't too hungry after what had happened last night.

They were all still so freaked out from the night before. They had been somewhat scared from what had happened. Seeing Remus transform into his dangerous, frightening werewolf form had been a terrifying experience. They knew he was now in danger too, of losing his job. No matter what the truth was, that they had been out there on their own and he had no part in them being there, the Hogwarts School Board would still fire him.

That was the sad truth.

They look up as James comes over to them. He looked stressed and tired. They knew he'd been up all night trying to handle everything. "When you kids are done with breakfast, come down to Remus' office. We need to talk about last night. Grab Ivy too," he says.

They nod and get up to make their way over to Lupin's office. They weren't eating and weren't planning on it. James was confused by this, "None of you have eaten barely a thing… Especially you, Harry."

"We're not hungry," the small group mutters. Harry goes over quickly and gets Ivy, who follows them without a word. Her face was sullen. Her emotions were unreadable.

James ushers the group out of the Great Hall and down to his werewolf friend's office. He watched all of them closely. They were all quiet, which was odd since according to Remus's observations in class, they're usually quite chatty. However, considering the circumstances, James supposed it was understandable.

When they arrive at Remus' office, they all sit down in five chairs facing Remus's desk. Reus was sitting in his desk chair while Sirius was standing up, his arms crossed wordlessly, observing the kids. James walked over to stand on the other side of Remus, also crossing his arms. His expression mimicked Sirius's without meaning to.

"We need to talk to you about something highly important that you need to keep quiet," Sirius begins. They nod and sit back and wait. "Look, you must know that what you did last night was dangerous."

Ivy bit her lip and looked away from his gaze. Remus said, "What you saw was surely frightening, and I'm sure you all are confused a little. So we'll explain, but you have to know that it has to stay quiet."

Sirius explained, "James is an Animagus, and so am I. Do you know what Animagi are?" Ivy nodded since McGonagall had already gone over it with them in class. The other four shook their heads. Sirius explained, "An Animagus is a witch or wizard who can change into an animal at will. It takes years to master and a whole lot of concentration. It's very difficult to learn."

James continued, "I'm a stag and Sirius is a dog. We've been coming here this entire year to help Remus every month."

"Why?" Harry asked him father. The two Animagi looked at Remus to explain.

"I… I am a werewolf. I was bitten when I was very young. It's a miracle I lived, but my life has been very hard since," he spared a glance to his daughter, who seemed to be holding back tears stoically.

"Werewolves, though they have a craving for human flesh, will not harm an animal in their presence," James explained, "That's why we became Animagi. We go with Remus every full moon so that he can have some fun instead of scratching and biting himself."

"It helps a great deal," Remus nodded.

Sirius took over, "What you guys saw happen last night was not us helping that much. He had forgotten to take his wolfsbane potion, which improves his lycanthropy immensely. It was dangerous for you to be out there. It could have gotten you all killed like what almost happened with…never mind that." Sirius said.

Christi frowned. She knew what Sirius was going to say. It was no secret to her that he had almost gotten her father killed in their seventh year by telling Snape to go down the Whomping Willow on a full moon. The only reason he was still here today was because of…

Christi glanced at Harry's father.

Christi had been really curious one day and had been snooping around her father's office. She knew she wasn't supposed to be, but anyways, she had found her father's pensive looked in. She saw all of his worst memories from school and she had seen that he was nearly killed by a werewolf. She had seen James stop him at the entrance to the Whomping Willow. The memory had been suddenly cut off there, but Christi had a good idea of what happened afterwards.

"You knew, didn't you?" Sirius asks Christi.

"Yes, but I didn't know it was you guys," she answered.

They didn't say anything more about it. They didn't know what to say to Snape's _daughter_.

Before anyone had the chance to respond, Ivy started crying and shaking. She pulled her legs to up her chest and rocked back and forth slowly. Her breaths were coming in short, panicked gasps of air, raspy and alarmed. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated. They had a look of upmost terror and dread in them, shocked, lonely, guilty. Remus rushed over to her, helping her out of her chair and onto the couch. Everyone in the room was alarmed. James and Sirius were tense, ready to help with anything.

Remus whispered things to her and she whispered things in gasps of air back. She didn't talk very calmly. She was frightened. She was panicked. She was having a total breakdown. Ivy wasn't thinking straight. She couldn't control her tears, which were pouring down her face now. Remus wiped them off with his thumb, trying to calm her down with slow, easy words. She was sobbing, her breathing sharps, her chest convulsing as she tried to breathe and speak at the same time.

"Imsosorryitsallmyfault!" she cried out in one breath.

Remus made quiet hushing sounds and hugged her, "Ivy, it's okay, you did nothing wrong, it's okay… We don't blame you for anything, love…"

"You should!" she gasped, "You should! It's all my fault that the four of them were there last night! It's all my fault!"

Sirius conjured a glass and water, and handed it to Ivy. She was shaking, so as she held it, almost all of it sloshed out. She didn't drink any of it. Sirius knelt down and got her to look him in the eyes, "Ivy, it's okay. No one thinks you're to blame!"

"I am! I am, I have to tell you all, I'm sorry!"

James requested, "Ivy, why don't you tell us what happened?"

"I followed you, Sirius, when you pulled Ron away!" she looked at him, "When you dragged him by the leg, I didn't know what you were doing, I was just so curious so I followed you! I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Remus wiped her tears again and said, "It's not your fault, Ivy, trust us, it isn't."

"Yes it is! I didn't have to follow, I did anyway and everyone came with me! I should have made them stay behind, Daddy, I should have told them it was too dangerous… I'm the oldest here, I should have been responsible. I wasn't though!" she wailed, "What sort of friend, what sort of role model am I?"

She was having guilty breakdown for putting Christi, Hermione, Ron and Harry all in danger. Christi and Harry were like family, and all of them were four innocent lives that could have been wiped away that night. She was hyperventilating uneasily. Ivy felt like her heart was pounding so heard in chest it was going to burst out. She was sure they could hear her heart thudding against her chest, but honestly, over her confession and her tears and her gasps, they might not have heard a thing.

Remus was holding Ivy close to him as she cried, "Hush, Ivy. Hush." Remus whispered, rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry for putting them in danger. So sorry," she wept.

"You didn't know. You were worried," Remus tried to assure her. Ivy stopped talking then, reduced to trying to calm down. She hiccupped as she wiped away her tears.

James, Sirius and Remus were struggling to calm Ivy down. Christi knew exactly what would help. From her book bag, she took a small vial of light blue potion. She had nicked it from her father's storage for exams that year—the Calming Draught. She was sure it would come to good use now. It was a good thing she still had it, though she hadn't needed it.

"I feel so bad," Ivy hiccups. Christi walked over and handed the Draught to Ivy, who glanced at it unsurely.

"Take the potion, Ivy," Christi insisted. Ivy took it all in one shot and sighed afterwards at the slightly sweet taste. Her breathing was evening out now and her tears had stopped. Once her hands stopped noticeably shaking, Sirius refilled her water glass. He had to several times more after she had enough water to make up for tears.

Ivy looked solemnly at Harry, Hermione, Ron and Christi, "I'm sorry I put you in danger… Blame me, if anyone…"

"We went with you because we wanted to, Ivy," Christi assured her.

"This is my entire fault that more people know," Ivy said. She wanted to yell but she felt to at ease to raise her voice.

"No it's not Poison Ivy," Sirius said lowly.

"Yes it is!" Ivy nodded, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had gotten any of them hurt! Hell, I already did… Ron's leg is broken! I… I…" she didn't have much energy after the potion, so she sighed and looked to Ron, "Ron, please forgive me…"

Ron smiled, "Of course I do, Ivy. You're not the one who bit me…" he spared a glance to Sirius.

"Ivy don't worry about it," Remus reasons, "It'll all be sorted out."

"I still feel like it is."

"No it's not, Ivy. Please trust us when we tell you it's not your fault," James explains.

"I don't care what all of you say..." she says peacefully, "This is my fault and I could have gotten Harry, Christi, Hermione and Ron all killed. I was reckless."

"No you weren't. You wanted to know what we were doing, and curiosity is a part of life," James explains, "If it's anyone's fault it's ours for not telling you."

"No matter what you say, any of you," she looked all around the room, "I still feel as though it's my fault. Now if you'll excuse me..."

She dashes out of the room and out of the Great Hall, then onto the lawn. She sprinted right over to Black Lake where she drops down onto her knees weeps softly. She could have gotten her friends killed last night all because of her stupidity. She hated herself for it. Even with the Calming Draught in her system, she still had to cry, even if it was only weeping tears that simply leaked out of her eyes without a noise.

Ivy hears a few sets of footsteps coming up to her then two sets of arms wrapping around her shoulders. Her tears dried up and she looked on either side of her. Christi had a pained look on her face and Harry looked like he knew what he was doing, even though Ivy knew that he really never knew exactly what he was doing. Luck was always on his side. She didn't understand how things always turned out okay for him. She supposed it was a good thing, but it was miraculous nonetheless.

"Ivy we went with you because we wanted to," Harry tells her.

"Yeah," Christi agrees, "We wanted to go with you. We wanted to help because you're family to us and we love you."

Ivy gives them a small watery smile and hugs them both. "I love you guys too." They smiled at her and just held the hug with Ivy. They smiled at her and just held the hug with Ivy. They knew she was really upset and they hated seeing her that upset. She was practically their cousin and they just wanted her to stop blaming herself for thinking she put them in danger. They knew it was going to take her some time to get over it, but she would eventually stop. For now, though, they just sat there, wrapped around each other in a tight hug.

Ivy sighed and sat back. She looked at them with a newfound brightness in her eyes and declared, "You know you two, I swear right here, right now to become a Healer and find a cure for this. It's not fair my dad and so many other people have to live with this disease. No one deserves to live like this, to be treated like a monster even though they can't help it... I mean, now he might be out of a job. It's not fair for him, or anyone. I really want to do this for him."

"Ivy, that's a good goal," Harry said, "That's gonna help a lot of people one day."

Christi nodded and said, "And you're brave enough, smart enough and crafty enough to accomplish it too. You've got potential."

Ivy smiles and hugs her 'cousins'. If anybody outside of their close knit little family were to see them, they would really think that the three of them really were cousins from how they acted around each other. And even though they weren't, they might as well have been.


	15. Chapter 15

"What if I fail my OWLS?"

"Well, it's not like you can fail the entire thing. It's each subject as a whole," George pointed out to Ivy as they walked down the hall. It was already late October of the next year. Ivy was fifteen years old and completely freaking out about her OWLS. She had focused much more about her dream to become a Healer.

She knew exactly what she had to do to achieve all the NEWTS she needed—E in all of the core subjects except for an O in Potions. She also wanted an OWL for Astronomy, but she'd give it up if it interfered with anything else too much.

Ivy, who had always been a fairly good student, was no taking all of her classes with direct seriousness. She was studying hard, not letting anyone or anything disrupt or bother her. She barely had time to be excited about anything like the Triwizard Tournament or any of Fred and George's new pranks. She always had her homework done to the best of her ability, always took a ton of notes in class, always had one book or another in front of her trying to find information.

And she was doing pretty good so far. She was the best in her classes, best student in the fifth year so far, in fact. Even with the persuading of all her friends, she couldn't be convinced to go and relax by the Black Lake with them, and she'd have no part in pranks—and they all knew better than to actually prank

Ivy.

Her friends understood though. She needed to study. She had a goal. It was what Ivy had to do.

"What if I don't get good grades on any of them?" Ivy asked worriedly.

"Ivy," George said, taking her shoulders, "Fred and I only got two OWLS. If we can accomplish that, you can accomplish so much more."

"Well you guys got them in the easiest things… Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."

"Which means you'll definitely get Herbology!" Fred quipped, "And I'm sure you'll get everything else, too, Ivy."

"You know you're smart enough," George said, "Just quit doubting yourself."

Ivy shrugged, "Still not sure about Potions. Snape hates me."

"He hates everyone," Fred said, "Besides his precious Slytherins."

"No way he'll accept me if I don't get an O on my OWLS. He's got such high standards, the bastard…"

Fred said, "Just be optimistic, Ivy."

"Who knows, maybe Snape'll have a change of heart and accept you," George said.

Ivy snorted, "Unlikely…" A sudden force was shoved into her back and she grunted. She fell forwards and a body fell on top of her. Ivy groaned in pain and rolled onto her back, shoving the small body off of her. "Bloody hell," Ivy gasped, winded.

"Ouch!" Christi gasped as well as Fred and George helped them up.

Ivy coughed a bit and said, "What the fuck was that about? That hurt, Christi."

Christi only grinned, "I was just… running. Anyways, I'll handle my father for you."

Ivy grinned, "I can always count on you… Don't let me down."

Christi laughed and said, "We've got to hurry to the Great Hall. The Triwizard ceremony where they pick the champions is already starting and we're late."

None of them could wait to find out who'd be the champion for Hogwarts. They were excited for the entire tournament, from the tasks to the arrival of two other schools to who the champions would be. They'd all been eager since the Welcome Feast when it was first announced. Though the night was cold when Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived, they were energized and wound up, nonetheless. That day was when they would pick the champions, and the flood of thrill and excitement had come back to everyone again.

"Us, along with twenty other people," Fred pointed out, looking at the students surrounding them. They walked quickly through the halls to the Great Hall and entered, sitting at the Gryffindor table. In the very front stood the cup glowing with fire. Dozens of students had already put their name in from all three schools. Ivy had taken a break from studying to visit Fred and George in the Hospital Wing getting their beards shaved off and she had a good laugh. Now it was time to be serious. Everyone was waiting anxiously for the cup to send out a name, hoping that their preferred friend was chosen.

The feast had to come first, though no one was that hungry from the feast the previous day. Two huge feasts in a row aren't that appealing. They were all stuffed and bloated by the time this feast finished even if they had limited their food intake. But their minds left their stomach cramps and went to Dumbledore as he stood again in front of the Goblet of Fire.

He waved his hands and the candles all went out. The fire inside of the goblet shined its bright blue sheen that everybody had their eyes transfixed on.

"C'mon, Angelina!" Ivy whooped with her friends before Dumbledore silenced them all. The Great Hall went dead silent. Not a sound was heard except for the fire's crackling. It was somewhat eerie, but everyone was amazed and had a rare feeling in their soul that seldom came except at extraordinary moments like this one.

"Well," Dumbledore began, "The goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table and go through into the next chamber—" he motioned to a door behind the staff table, "—where they will be receiving their first instructions."

Things were quiet again, everybody waiting for the goblet to spit out the first paper. "Any second…" Lee Jordan whispered across from Ivy.

Suddenly, everyone gasped as the goblet's flame turned a bright red, spewing out sparks. A flame shot out, carrying a piece of parchment with it. It fluttered into Dumbledore's outstretched hand and he read very clearly, "The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum."

The entire school of Durmstrang cheered very loudly as Viktor stood and walked over to the chamber. Karkaroff boomed, "Bravo, Viktor! I knew you had it in you!"

Once everyone stopped clapping and the attention turned once again to the goblet, it spit out another parchment in a tongue of flame as before. Dumbledore read this time, "The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour."

There were squeals and quick claps and high cheering heard from the Beauxbatons table. Many students were happy while at the same time looking disappointed, a few even sobbing.

"They look so disappointed," Hermione pointed out.

"I guess they really wanted it…" Ivy shrugged, "Poor girls. Listen, Hogwarts is up next… Let's go Angelina!"

Angelina crossed her fingers as the goblet spit out a third flame. Dumbledore caught it. He looked prideful as he opened it and read, "The champion for Hogwarts is Cedric Diggory!"

Everyone at the Gryffindor table gave a general sigh of unhappiness before getting over Angelina's loss and clapping loudly for the student representing Hogwarts. Hufflepuff cheered the loudest, prideful at someone representing their own House.

As the noise died down, Dumbledore began to speak, "Excellent! Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count on all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champions on, you will contribute in a very real—"

He was interrupted when the goblet's flames roared up once again. Everyone turned their heads to the goblet, confused. It spit out a final piece of parchment. By then, confused whispered were going around. No one knew what was going on. Not even the teachers or even Dumbledore! He took the parchment and opened it apprehensively.

He read out so clearly that no one could misinterpret, "Harry Potter."

Harry just sat there, not moving. Everybody was looking at him and he looked stunned, numb. Professor McGonagall went over to whisper to Dumbledore, but no one noticed because everyone was still looking at Harry.

Harry looked at his friends, "I didn't put my name in. You know I didn't." However, they just looked at him blankly.

Dumbledore called out, "Harry Potter! Harry, come up here if you please!"

Hermione gave him a little push to encourage him. Everyone's eyes followed Harry as he stood and walked up there and into the chamber. Even when he left the Great Hall and walked into the chamber, everyone stood silent.

Dumbledore said a few last astonished words and he went into the chamber along with the other two heads of schools and professors.

"Whoa," Ivy said to herself as they were all sent back to their Common Rooms by Head Boys and Girls and Prefects.

"Whoa indeed," George agreed.

"That… That was just… What?"

Christi wondered, "So will he have to compete in the Tournament?"

Hermione answered, "Yes, he's bound by magical contract. His name came out, so he has to compete. I studied the rules, there's no way for him to get out of it."

"What if he gets hurt?" Christi feared.

Ivy sighed, "Way to make it ten times more negative than it already is."

Fred said, "I, for one, don't think it's fair. How'd he get past the Age Line?"

"Well there has to be some mistake," Ron said, "If he were to put his name in there, he would have told me. Right?"

Hermione contradicted him, "There would be absolutely no way, Ronald. He can't get past the Age Line if Fred and George can't even get past it."

Ivy snickered at remembering them with beards and said, "Maybe someone put in his name for him?"

"Who would do that?" Hermione asked as they arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, "That doesn't make sense. At all. I just can't see it."

Ivy said, "Maybe it was a Slytherin. They all hate Harry."

"Then why would they want to set Harry up for possible fame and glory?" George asked, "Unrealistic."

"They would because it's awful and dangerous and he could be killed. Maybe the Slytherins wanted him out of the way."

George laughed at that, "I don't think Slytherins would let him be killed because they don't like him."

She shrugged, "Hey, they're Slytherins."

The Fat Lady said anxiously and hurriedly, "Hurry up and give me the bloody password. I want to get down there to see what's going on!"

"Grogan Stump," Ivy spat out, "And just so you know, there's still like, five groups of Gryffindors coming down, so hold your horses, lady." The Fat Lady frowned and opened her portrait for them. Ivy collapsed on the couch. She sighed, "I'm gonna cry or something if Harry gets hurt in one of the tasks."

Christi sighed, "Me too. What if it's serious?"

Ivy frowned, "That reminds me…"

As if Christi were thinking the same thing, she said, "Wait until Lily and James hear about it…"

"Aunt Lily's gonna go nuts," Ivy sighed, "Poor Harry…"

"I wonder if they'll be angry. What if they think he put himself in there and broke the rules?" Christi asked.

Ivy shrugged. She sighed and tried to stay calm, "It'll be okay… Trust me; it'll be just fine…"

Christi said, "I hope you're right."

XXX

Ivy wasn't right. Though they all had come to terms with what sort of danger Harry could be in, they never realized that he was in quite a bit of peril. They all dealt with this thought in their own ways, some by ignoring him, some by spending more time with him, some by doing things completely unrelated to him.

However, as much as they told him it would be alright, as much as they told him that they were proud no matter what, they honestly didn't know. They could tell Harry all they wanted that he could get through it, that he was strong and courageous and that he would be fine in the end, they could never be sure of this. They were encouraging, but there was a lot of doubt in each of them, the most of which was in Harry.

They told themselves that things would be fine. They told themselves that Harry would come out of the Tournament alright. They told themselves that he wasn't in danger and that he wouldn't get hurt.

The First Task proved them wrong.

After seeing him face that dragon, from the very beginning they were frightened for him. All thoughts of who put Harry's name into the cup vanished because it obviously hadn't been himself. All thoughts of whether he was capable of not went away, because whether he was or wasn't, Harry was in this until the end.

They watched as he soared out of sight on the broom, the dragon following. Every breath was held until he came back and swooped up the egg. In fact, no one could relax until he exited the area and joined them back in the Common Room again to celebrate.

Even through the happy faces and cheers for Harry were frightened interiors. People who feared for his life, which was clearly in immense danger, were all over. Everyone knew that it was dangerous, that he might not make it, but he didn't have a choice now. Harry had to compete.

And he had to finish.


	16. Chapter 16

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Christi walk to Potions slowly, not really wanting to have to double up with the Slytherins.

The four of them really didn't hang out as much anymore. Christi had simply made other friends. She liked hanging out with other people in other Houses, like Luna and Padma and their friends, and Blaise Zabini and some of his friends.

When she did hang out with the 'Golden Trio' they cherished the time and enjoyed it.

"So… Christi, you and Blaise are really turning heads when you two are together." Harry comments offhandedly.

Blaise and Christi had been dating for a few months, since around October. Blaise had asked Christi out even though she was a Gryffindor, and she accepted even though he was a Slytherin. They liked each other and since the previous year had bonded a bit and become friends. They learned to look past what House the other was in.

"Yeah… we really don't care that we're in rival Houses. We just look at the person and who they are. Blood status, House, and who we're related to shouldn't matter."

Hermione smiled at her, "That's good. You seem happy with him."

She smiles and nods, "I really am."

"So does your dad know?"

"Does it seem like he knows that his fourteen year old daughter is dating?"

"Good point," laughs Harry about the blissfully ignorant Snape.

She smiles and nods as they head into the classroom. Getting in there they spot Draco and Blaise sitting at their table. Christi smiles at Blaise and he gives her a small smile and nods at her. They all sit down and start copying the notes off of the chalkboard for the class for the day.

The rest of the class starts filing in and taking the notes as Severus starts the lesson. He tells everybody to pair up. Most of the people from the same Houses paired up together, and Blaise and Christi went discreetly over to each other to be a pair. It was an unspoken thing between them.

Christi had just gotten the potions ingredients and had just gotten back to the table with Blaise. They were working on making a Forgetfulness Potion. They were letting the potion simmer and were reading the next set of instructions when they heard Severus shouting at them.

They turned and looked and saw their cauldron getting ready to explode. Blaise grabs her and pulled her to him for safety, dropping to the floor as it explodes.

"Everyone needs to go the hospital wing and get checked out _now_!" Severus snarls, "Christina, Blaise, come back afterward. I want a word."

"Yes sir…" they mutter.

Everyone goes to hospital wing and gets clean bill of health. Christi just had a minor bump on the back of her head and that was it. Christi and Blaise get back to the potions classroom and look at Severus.

"You added the sprigs to soon," he says.

"Well, it isn't like we meant to make the potion explode," Christi defended herself and Blaise.

He sighed, "You still endangered everybody here, kids."

"Again, not like we meant to," Christi said, "It was an accident."

Snape seethed and rubbed his temples. He said shortly, "Go."

The two quickly left the room and headed down the hallway. Christi smiled at Blaise and said, "Thanks for covering me when it exploded."

"My pleasure," Blaise grinned, putting his arm around her shoulders. He walks her back to the Gryffindor Common Room as she had a free period then. Blaise sighed and said, "I wish you were in the same house as me."

"I know. Same here."

He gives her a quick kiss then heads off. She gives the password then she goes into the common room and plops down onto the couch and relaxes.

The rest of the day had passed uneventfully, so when dinner comes around, Christi goes and meets up with Blaise quickly smiling. He walks her over to her table and kisses her cheek making her blush then he returns to his table as Dumbledore gets up to make an announcement.

"Before the second task we will be having a Yule Ball and all the fourth years and up are allowed to go. Third years and below are not unless asked to the ball," Dumbledore announced. Suddenly, the entire school is in excitement. The girls were squealing and talking about dresses, makeup and dates for the ball whilst the guys were brooding together about who to ask.

Christi looks over Blaise and smiles brightly. He chuckles, seeing her pure excitement about the upcoming ball. He sat there for a moment, then he got up after Dumbledore finished his speech and started the feast. He went right over to Christi, thinking about what he was going to say and how he Snape was going to be so angry.

He gets over to her and turns her around. He can literally feel Snape glaring, but he takes a deep breath then asks, "Will you, Christina Novalee Snape, go to the Yule Ball with me?"

She smiles and nods enthusiastically and she gets up and kisses him. He kisses back for a moment but their moment is cut short by the sniggering coming from certain students at the tables. Everyone's looking at her father stalking down the aisle.

"I think we need to get out of here," giggles Christi. They turn to leave, but Snape stops them.

"Stop right there, young lady!"Snape demanded. Christi didn't move. Snape walked up and hissed, "In the hall, _now_."

Christi followed her father into the hallway outside the Great Hall. Her head was hung low, but there was still a smile on her face because of Blaise.

"Christina," Snape sighed, "Why didn't you tell me you were… dating a boy?"

Christi said, "Because you'd disapprove."

"You don't know that."

"Do you?"

"Yes," Snape nodded, "But only because you kept it from me. If you'd told me about it when it happened, I would have slowly gotten over it. Now it'll take me longer to get over it."

Christi was still smiling, but said, "I'm sorry, Dad."

"It doesn't matter if your sorry. You shouldn't keep secrets from me, ever. You're grounded."

Christi's jaw dropped, "I'm grounded?"

"Yes. You can't go on the next Hogsmeade visit, and you aren't allowed to leave the castle except for your Care of Magical Creatures class."

"What do you mean, so I can't go and sit by the Black Lake?"

"I'm not allowing you to even step one toe outside of the castle walls."

Christi frowned, "What! This is so unfair!"

"It's plenty fair, young lady," Snape said, "And I don't want you wandering in the halls while you're being punished either. Straight to the Common Room after classes end. And I'll be enforcing this, I'm going to bring it up with Professor McGonagall."

Christi pouted, "This is unfair."

"It's very fair. If you didn't want to be grounded, you shouldn't have kept things from me."

Christi made a noise of annoyance and walked away, leaving her father smirking.

XXX

"Don't you think it's unfair, Ivy?" Christi asked. They were sitting together at a table by the window that night. They were both doing homework, Ivy for Charms and Christi for Herbology.

Ivy didn't respond immediately. Then she said, "Well, Christi… Frankly, this doesn't surprise me. It is Dictator Snape. Wait, I take that back. This _does_ surprise me, because I expected something so much worse. I bet that if he could, Snape would lock you up in chains in a high tower with no entrance, like Rapunzel."

"Rapunzel?" Christi questioned.

"See, you're so sheltered from everything, you don't even know Muggle fairytails."

Christi rolled her eyes and said, "Well I still think he's overreacting. I can't _step a toe outside the castle's walls_," she mocked.

"It could be much worse," Ivy pointed out.

"How?"

"Like I said, you could be Rapunzel, but you wouldn't have long enough hair for a prince to climb up and rescue you."

Christi scrunched her eyebrows at Ivy, but didn't get a chance to respond before somebody walked up. They both looked up to see George towering over them. He smiled down at Ivy and said, "Hey, Ivy. How are you?"

"Hi, George. I'm good, and you?"

George grinned, "I'm great! Now, I have to ask you something."

"The answer is yes," Ivy smiled, knowing full well what he was going to ask.

"You don't even know what I'm gonna ask."

"Oh, yes, I do," she nodded.

George smirked, "Then what was it?"

"You were going to ask me to the Yule Ball. My answer is yes."

He shook his head, a smile on his face, "That's not what I was going to ask."

"Yes it was, you liar," Ivy giggled.

"No, no it's not."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised, and said, "Oh, yes is is. I know you, George. I can read your mind."

George thought for a moment and said, "What if it wasn't what I was going to ask you."

"But it was."

"Well…" George began, "Hypothetically, let's say that's not what I was going to ask. Then what."

She laughed, "Then this would be pretty damn awkward… But it _was_ what you were going to ask, so it's not awkward."

George laughed a bit and said, "So you will go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"I didn't count how many times I said that just now, but yes," Ivy nodded, "Yes I will."

George grinned even wider, if possible, and leaned down. He whispered in her ear, "Great," and then kissed her cheek. With that, he walked away. Ivy was blushing redder than all the Weasley family's hair colors put together.

Christi laughed and said, "Ooh-la-la!"

Ivy glared at Christi and muttered, "You shouldn't be able to mock me when you're grounded…"


	17. Chapter 17

The year was passing with great speed now. The Yule Ball had passed; the Second Task was done with. It was almost June now, and everybody in the castle was freaking out about something, whether it be exams, OWLs, NEWTs or the Third Task in the Triwizard Tournament, it was just plain chaos for everyone.

Everyone was studying harder than ever before now, especially the fifth years. They were reviewing everything they'd had done for the past five years. Ivy and Katie spent at least six hours a day in the library. Sometimes Ivy skipped meals, and sometimes she was in there until midnight. The fifth year students sat in there, reviewing things and conjuring up old tests all the time during the weekend. Luckily, no one had begun to psych themselves out.

It was the last week of May, and Ivy was pretty much studied out. The OWLs were in two weeks, and all she wanted to do on that particular sunny Saturday afternoon was hang out with George, her boyfriend of several months, and the rest of her friends.

But, to be honest, she couldn't relax. She couldn't stop thinking about the Third Task that lay several weeks away. It was nerve-wracking to have one of your close friends, a boy you treat as a sibling, in the Tournament. Ivy was so worried for Harry.

"You know, the Third Task is supposed to be the hardest, the one that challenges you the most," Ivy said as they sat down in the grass by the Black Lake, "What if Harry doesn't make it?"

"He will," George said, "He's tough. He's fought You-Know-Who and survived about three times now—once when he was a _baby_. He's fought Dementors all by himself, among all of that other stuff that you've said he's done."

"Gotten past a three-headed dog, fought the Whomping Willow, like twice, fought giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest, among other things…"

George said, "Right, he's done all that. And he's gotten through it alive. Now, he's gotten through the First and Second Tasks, he's just fine now. He'll be okay in the Third."

Ivy frowned, "I'm just so scared. What if he gets hurt?"

"Worse than he already has been hurt? I can't even count all of the injuries that I know about on one hand, and I haven't heard all of them. He's already got that huge scar on his forehead, what could be worse?" Fred joked.

Angelina told her, "He's been a trooper so far in the Tournament. I know that he was unable to get out of it at all, and it was forbidden, but he's been doing pretty well."

Ivy shrugged, "It's just really hard to see him go through all this. It's ridiculous, Dumbledore should have pulled him out from the beginning."

"He couldn't, it was contract," Katie pointed out, "Harry was stuck in there from the minute the Goblet put his name out."

"I'm still wondering who put his name in. I believe him when he said that he didn't put in his own name," Ivy said, "And whatever sick bastard did, if I ever find him, he'll have Hell to pay."

"Well, it could be anybody," Fred said, and pointed out, "There are more than a dozen sons and daughters of Dark wizards who go to school here, who are of age and hold grudges against Harry for numerous reasons."

"Like what?" George asked his brother.

"Because Harry defeated You-Know-Who, and his defeat put all of the Death Eaters—the parents of many here—in Azkaban. Also because their parents may not be in Azkaban but still hate him for representing hope and goodness and everything, which their former leader, former savior, former whatever, hated. Plus, Harry killed him. Now he's dead."

"I get you, Fred," Ivy said, "I really don't know who would have done that, though. Thinking about it makes me really angry, so I don't really wanna talk about it."

"You've got too many things to worry about anyways, love," George said, "I mean, with OWLs coming up, and everything…"

Ivy groaned, "I don't even want to think about OWLs right now."

"Ditto to that," Katie agreed, "All we've been doing is cramming."

Alicia said, "Been there, done that. I heard next year for NEWTs is a lot worse. It's gonna be such rubbish."

Lee said, "But you know, next year, you girls will have it pretty easy. Seeing us be able to handle it well should give you inspiration."

"Gives me loads," Ivy said sarcastically, "I'm lucky to not break down this year from the stress of OWLs."

"Yeah, like Patricia did," Lee said. He and Patricia had broken up around Christmas after having dated for nearly a year and a half. They went to the Yule Ball together though and seemed pretty cozy, but then weren't seen together after that.

"I'm so scared… What if I fail them?"

Fred and George looked at her with equally fed up looks. They said in unison, "Are we going through this again?"

"Yes!" she nodded, "My goodness, I'm going insane! What if I just completely psych myself out?"

"Well if you stop thinking about it for more than three minutes, you won't psych yourself out," Fred commented.

She rolled her eyes, "How were you so calm about it last year?"

They both shrugged and George said, "We knew that it wouldn't help that much with our plans for the future."

"Well my OWLs are going to help me a whole lot with being a Healer."

"You don't say…" Lee chuckled.

"I've got too many things to worry about as it is. Harry, plus the OWLs, and my parents fighting…"

"Your parents are fighting?" Alicia asked.

"Badly," Ivy rolled her eyes, "Probably about really stupid things, too."

Katie frowned, "Whenever I see your family though, your parents seem so happy."

Ivy shrugged, "Lately, like last summer, Mum was just getting on my dad's arse for everything he did wrong. She blew every little thing way out of proportion."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, my dad will have Sirius and James over for a Firewhiskey or something and she'll get all mad because he didn't clean up the living room or kitchen afterwards. Or he'll start up a Quidditch game with them and Harry and Travis and Mum will get mad because Travis is so young and they're really rough with him, even though he's been able to handle it for years."

George frowned, "That's worse than our mum."

Fred nodded, "She just tells us not to hurt Ginny or else she'll give us Hell."

"My mum gets on me and Travis all the time for doing things wrong, like if we didn't do our chores or if we didn't make our beds, or if we listen to music to loud and any little thing."

"I hate when my mum does that," Angelina said.

Ivy nodded, "It's awful. Lately, she's just so much worse than before."

"You're dad getting fed up with it?" Angelina asked.

"I haven't heard much from him, but whenever I see him on holidays, if I mention Mum, he gets really bitter and angry and closes himself off."

"Do they fight during holidays?"

"They had a huge row during Easter," she nodded, "And then during the winter holidays, they didn't even talk to each other the whole time. We could hear them yelling a few times at night, but most of the time it was deadly silent and they just ignored each other. Travis is really mad at her right now."

"What about Travis?" Ivy heard from behind her. Her little brother stood there, an eyebrow raised.

"Just talking about Mum and Dad."

Travis rolled his eyes, "God. She keeps sending me letters trying to make up for what happened during Easter and I'm just ignoring them."

"What happened?" Lee asked.

"She started a huge fight with me. I said some stuff… She said some stuff… I left the house and stayed at Harry's place for the rest of the weekend, it was no big deal."

Ivy rolled her eyes, "Well after you left, she started getting on me for everything. I had to yell at her to shut up about the little things as least twice and then she grounded me."

"Sorry, I left you there helpless."

Ivy shrugged, "All I know is that Mum better shut up about everything before someone gets fed up with her. Whether it be dad or you or me, someone's probably gonna leave sooner or later."

"I already did," Travis shrugged, "But they probably won't let me stay at Harry's house for all of summer holidays. I'm dreading it."

"Just chill out for now. It's still a month away."

Travis nodded and smirked, "So, you ready for your OWLs?"

Ivy groaned, flopping to her back.

XXX

The entire arena was cheering for their preferred contender in the competition. All of the Gryffindors were basically sitting together, cheering for Harry. _POTTER_ and _GO HARRY_ and _BOY WHO LIVED_ was painted on their faces in red and gold, courtesies of Seamus Finnegan.

There were mostly Hogwarts students with huge yellow banners for Cedric Diggory. Near the Ravenclaws sat the girls of Beauxbatons, cheering for Fleur. The Durmstrang students sat near Slytherin, cheering for Viktor Krum. The Slytherins, several of whom were cheering for Krum as well, weren't cheering as most of the schools were, but making more insulting comments towards the contestants, aside from the one who they liked.

Many of the banners held by Hogwarts goers such as the Ravenclaw students were divided into two sections, one for Harry and one for Cedric, so they were cheering for both. But everybody was cheering for someone, everyone had their preferred player.

The contestants had just entered the arena, and even though Fleur Delacour, the contestant in last place, was concealed completely, none of the cheering had stopped.

Ivy looked around at everyone cheering. She laughed and said, "You know, the contestants probably can't hear anyone cheering now that the maze has closed."

Christi, standing next to her with the initials _BWL_ painted on her cheeks and forehead, standing for _Boy Who Lived_, said to Ivy, "But they know that their fans are cheering for them. It goes to the heart."

Ivy rolled her eyes. Painted on her face in altering red and gold letters said _THE CHOSEN ONE_. George stood next to her, and on the other side of his was Fred. They had matching face paint, with half of their faces red and the other half gold, and _HP_ on each cheek.

"So," George asked her as she stared at the maze, "How do you think you did on your OWLs?"

Ivy knew he was just joking, since she was still freaking out about whether she did well of not. However, she hadn't spoken that much about them to anyone at all. She laughed and said, "All I'm gonna say is that I have a good feeling."

"Good!"

About an hour and a half passed, maybe less, before Harry showed up suddenly. He had the cup in hand, and a body with him. No one noticed the lifeless body underneath him at first.

Everybody cheered. Ivy yelled out, "Woo! Harry!" whilst doing a little dance. They headed toward him away from their seats, but stopped in their tracks once they noticed Cedric's dead body underneath the shaking, sobbing figure of Harry Potter.

"Oh my God!" Christi exclaimed, jumping when she saw it.

Ivy had a horrified look on her face, matching Christi's, "Holy shit…"

Everybody stopped cheering, the band stopped playing, and everybody stood still. A few gasps filled the otherwise silent air. George pulled Ivy closer to him and she buried her head in his shoulder for comfort. She tried not to look at the sight before them, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Everyone, go back to your seats!" Dumbledore shouted, and Hagrid pushed them back to sit down. Harry was taken away by Professor Moody while Cedric's father rushed to sob over his son frantically. It was a sad sight to see.

They entire arena just stared, in shock. Some of those who knew Cedric were crying; others covered their faces. It was a horror scene, a very sad sight in front of them.

The following week or so was a depressing one. There was a lot of mourning going on in the hallways, and all throughout the schools. Classes had been cancelled. Several shrines had been set up in Cedric's memory, one by the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room, one in the Great Hall, one in the Entrance Hall on the steps and several others.

On those shrines were gifts for Cedric, many pictures of him, candles, handwritten poems and letters and words of kindness, among other things. No one sat outside by the Lake, and talked and joked around. There were no little unorganized games of Quidditch going on everywhere. People didn't laugh and joke in the halls like they used to.

There was solemn speaking, remembering Cedric in a great way, few words spoken. There was a lot of sitting around, just thinking of him, praying for his soul, and keeping him in good memory. Other than that, nothing really happened. Nothing eventful, anyway.

At the End of Year Feast, Dumbledore gave a nice speech in Cedric's honor, explaining how he died, and saying kind words about him. The entire hall was silent during it, so silent that you could hear a pin drop. There was a great air of respect for Cedric in everyone, and sadness, and hollowness.

Everyone was hollow. Everyone felt as if they were missing something in this sad time. Cedric, a well-respected, very popular lad in Hogwarts, was gone now. He was a great student, a loved boy. Everyone would miss him. Everyone mourned for him. Everyone was numb due to his death.

Things were grey and drab, and even though it was getting warmer outside, everyone felt so cold. It was an awful feeling, the feeling of a death in the castle. It was sad and cruel and chilling to the bone. There was nothing anyone could do about it, though, but be strong and trek forward. They could only continue on with their lives, as expected to. It was hard, but it was to be done.

The last day of school was just as sad. As everyone watched the carriages of Beauxbatons fly away, and the ship from Durmstrang disappear under water, everyone finally felt a sense of closure. They had said their goodbyes, and everyone boarded the giant, gleaming scarlet train.

The ride back to King's Cross Station was a long one for everyone, filled with goodbyes and last moments together, trying to fit some smiles in and maybe one or two laughs, even though everyone was still sad, everyone was still worried and pretty uneasy.

Everyone knew that this was the beginning of something huge. Harry had said that Voldemort was now back, but no one knew whether to believe him or not. While nothing could prove him right, nothing could prove him wrong, either. After all, how else would Cedric have died?

It made everyone frisky and jumpy, incredibly nervous. No one knew what to think of this. But they did know that this was the start of something, whether they wanted to believe it or not.


End file.
